Take Your Pick
by DementedPoet
Summary: Sakura was content with her life as a med-nin until she has not one but two Uchihas vieing for her attention. Some spoilers in Ch. 1
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 1**

Sakura Haruno leads a fairly normal life. If you call healing injured shinobi, being able to collapse walls with a flick of her fingers, and hanging out with a demon fox child normal. Well, she can at least call her life fulfilling and very, very busy.

Sakura was about to leave Konaha Hospital, since her shift was now over, when a harried looking nurse burst into her office.

"Haruno-san, we need your assistance in operating room three immediately, an Anbu unit has just been brought in severely injured and we don't have enough medics to handle them all!," said Masumi.

Sakura jumped to her feet. "Thank you, Masumi, I'll be right there." She then rushed out hoping that things weren't to bad, or else she might end up in here with severe chakra depletion. Moments later she was staring into the face of an injured Uchiha Itachi. She placed her hands on his naked chest, the nurse had divested him of everything but his black pants. Immediately her hands glowed a soft green as she assessed the damage.

"Hmm, three broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and a fractured pelvis. What were you fighting, elephants?" she mumbled to herself as she stared the arduous process of healing the damage.

"No."

Sakura jumped when she heard his voice, since she thought that he was unconscious. Her eyes flicked up to his face and she was rewarded with the sight of the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. "Sorry, Itachi-san, I didn't realize you were awake."

"Hn."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his response, knowing he wasn't the conversational type. Of course, neither was his brother. It had been over a year since the brothers had been welcomed back to Konaha after the truth about the Uchiha massacre had been revealed.

**Flashback**

_Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and the rest of the rookie nine as well as team Gai, rushed in the direction of Sasuke's chakra signature. They were met with the sight of a torn up battlefield and the two brothers collapsed and nearly dead. Sakura and Ino jumped forward. It wasn't hard to tell who was worse off, so Sakura rushed to the side of Itachi and left Sasuke to Ino. She was shocked once she assessed the damage. Itachi's body was riddled with disease and he was nearly blind. Calling up her healing chakra she makes sure that he'd be stable enough to survive the trip back to Konaha._

_Once they were back, and Itachi was healed enough to be interrogated, the sad truth about the Uchiha clan massacre was revealed. Apparently, Itachi was a pawn for Root and was ordered by Danzou to wipe out his clan when a plot to overthrow the Hokage was revealed. The only setback was that Itachi couldn't kill his little brother, so he left the village to live the life of a missing-nin. Before he disappeared he left Danzou with the threat of revealing all of Konaha's secrets to the other hidden villages if any harm should come to Sasuke. Shortly after, Itachi joined the Akatsuki in order to keep the group from harming Konaha and getting their hands on the nine-tailed fox._

_After the truth came out, Sakura was given the arduous task of healing the Uchiha. It took several months to heal the extensive damage to his body and during that time Sakura grew fond of Itachi, now that she no longer crushed after Sasuke and only seemed to love the younger Uchiha in a sense that they were family. She now knew that Itachi was not the cold-blooded monster he was made out to be, but instead was a very protective and loyal person as well as a genius prodigy. Though, because of the training Root put him through he wasn't a very social person and he seemed to enjoy mind games a little too much. This was fine for Sakura, because she enjoyed trying to figure out the enigma that was Itachi._

_After finding out the truth, Sasuke went through several months of therapy to get over all of the conflicting emotions that he held for his brother. Once both brothers were able to rejoin the shinobi ranks Konaha was back up to it's former glory. Soon after that the Akatsuki was destroyed and life in Konaha went back to normal, or as normal as it ever got._

**End of flashback**

Sakura stared down at her handy-work, as well as Itachi's well-toned chest, impressed with herself yet again. She had healed all the major damage and informed him that he would need to rest for a couple of days as well as come back for a check-up in two days. She made a note on his chart for Tsunade to take him off active duty until he was declared fully healed. Itachi looked slightly annoyed at this but decided that there wasn't much he could do about it.

Sakura left to gather up his dismissal papers leaving Itachi to get dressed. A few minutes later, Sakura returned with the papers, and after getting them signed, repeated her orders for rest and only minimal training so that his muscles don't lock up.

"Alright, you're all set. See you in two days for your check-up," she says with a smile that lights up the room.

"Thank you, Sakura."

Itachi's low voice drifts through the room like velvet making Sakura shiver slightly. "No problem, I'm just doing my job. Well, take care." Sakura turns and starts to head out into the hall when the room seemingly tilts to the side and waves of dizziness wash over her and she collapsed. Before she hit the ground two strong arms were holding her against a muscular chest that so very warm. She looked back at her savior and straight into Itachi's eyes. Blushing slightly, "Ummm…….. Thanks," Sakura said weekly.

"You're nearly out of chakra," he spoke softly next to her ear.

"Uh, yeah…… My shift ended right before your team was brought in. I had to help because there weren't enough medics to go around."

"You overexerted yourself to heal me." It was a statement.

"Yeah," Sakura mumbled, almost falling asleep in his arms. When Inner-Sakura babbled dreamily about how very warm Itachi was and how good it felt to be wrapped in his arms' Sakura couldn't really disagree.

"I will take you home, then." Itachi stated, and before Sakura could argue, he picked her up bridal style and carried her to her home. When they arrived at her apartment he noticed that Sakura had fallen asleep in his arms. Deciding not to wake her and ask for her keys, he easily picked the lock and went inside. Her apartment was small, but well furnished, warm and welcoming. To him, her home was a lot nicer than the Uchiha compound that was richly furnished, but cold and unfriendly.

Itachi carried Sakura to her bed, removed her sandals, and tucked her in before laying down on her couch. He decided that he would protect her in her weakened state since he was the reason she was suffering from chakra depletion. He also decided that he would probably get better rest here than back at his house, since the compound brought up a lot of unwanted memories.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. I was really hoping that the first chapter wasn't too short, but apparently I did a good enough job to earn your praise. Also, I know that I am putting the next chapter up remarkably fast, but don't get too used to it. I do have a lot of other things that I have to do. But fortunately for you the plot bunny bit me on the ass and I couldn't ignore it. So, here's chapter 2, I hope you like it.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 2**

The sun was streaming in from the bedroom window alerting Sakura to the start of another beautiful day. If only she could match how she was feeling with the weather, because right now she felt like shit. Her head was pounding, her stomach was upset, and her whole body ached. 'Wow,' Sakura mused, 'I feel like I got hit by one of Naruto's uppercuts.' The events of last night passed through her mind as she was contemplating whether to get up or stay in bed all day. She noticed that she was still fully clothed and silently thanked kami for Itachi being such a gentleman. Sakura wasn't given much time alone with her thoughts, however, because she could now hear someone moving around in her kitchen. "I swear," she grumbled to herself, "if Naruto is scrounging around in my fridge again instead of going to the store I'm gonna knock him into next week." Grabbing a kunai she slipped from her bed and with as much stealth as she could muster padded into her living room.

The sight that met her upon entering her living room made her jaw and the kunai hit the floor. Sakura gaped wide-eyed and in shock at the sight of a shirtless Uchiha Itachi cooking breakfast. At this point Inner-Sakura was just a big puddle of goo. Sakura was jolted out of her shocked state when she noticed that Itachi was staring back at her with one eyebrow raised questioningly. Licking her suddenly dry lips, Sakura tried to get her brain working long enough to piece together a sentence. "Ummm………"

"Yes?"

Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she tried again. "Did you stay here all night?"

"Yes," Itachi stated the obvious, but when he didn't elaborate she just had to ask. "Why?"

"You were unconscious and wouldn't be able to protect yourself if need be. Since you were in that state because of me I decided to stay."

"So you protected me and are now making me breakfast?"

"No," he said with an amused glint in his eyes, "I'm making us breakfast."

Sakura blushed and then decided to ask about his current state of undress. "Ok, but why are you cooking shirtless?"

"It's hot." He said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Oh." was the only reply that came to mind while ogling Itachi's sculpted muscles as they rippled under his ivory skin while he finished cooking.

"You do know that it's rude to stare," Itachi said with a slight smirk adorning his lips.

Sakura's head snapped up at the sound of his voice, but instantly regretted it when a bout of dizziness hit her and she swayed dangerously. Itachi was at her side instantly, helping her to a chair. She batted away his hands once she was close enough grip the back of the chair. "I'm fine, ok, I've dealt with this a lot over the last couple of years."

"Maybe you should stop pushing yourself so hard."

Sakura started to get angry, hearing the same thing over and over was grating on her nerves. She glared at Itachi with one hand on her hip and the other in a death-grip on the chair back. "Well, if there were enough medics I wouldn't have to push myself. But since there aren't you can just back off and stop telling me how to do my job!" she snapped. "Hn." Itachi didn't know why he thought it so endearing for her to be indignant while having to hold herself up by gripping the chair back, but he did. He would just have to wait to evaluate it later. He dished the food onto two plates and set it on the table before seating himself. When Sakura just stood there he motioned for her to sit down. Sakura took her seat and stared down at the simple but healthy breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and fruit. It looked delicious, now here's hoping that Itachi was a better cook than she was, and after sampling the food it was apparent that indeed he was.

"This is really good, thank you for going to all this trouble over me," Sakura said with a genuine smile.

"It's nothing compared to all that you've done for me." Itachi returned her smile with a slight upturning of his lips. Sakura figured that this was the closest thing to a smile that he had in him since she rarely saw any kind of emotion from him at all. After that breakfast was finished in relative silence because Sakura couldn't think enough to say anything as she watched him eat his fruit. She didn't know why she was so fascinated by this, all he was doing was picking up the bits of fruit with his fingers before putting them in his mouth. She forgot to eat at one point when he stopped to lick the juice from his fingers before moving on to the next piece. She didn't think that he was purposely trying to distract her, but you could never be too sure when dealing with an Uchiha.

Sakura was jolted out of her thoughts by someone banging on her door, though she was somewhat relieved that she didn't have to spend any more time alone with Itachi, seeing as he was still naked from the waist up. She hoped that he would either put on a shirt or stay in the kitchen so that she didn't have to explain why she had a half naked Itachi in her apartment. Oh, how wrong she was, the moment she stood to answer the door he stood and proceeded to lean casually against the door frame, completely at ease, and what was worse was that he also didn't seem to have any intention of putting his shirt back on. At this point Sakura thanked kami that she was fully clothed and not in her night shirt. When the door was knocked on again she called out that she would be right there and then went to open the door.

Apparently Sakura had horrible luck this morning because the person on the other side of the door was Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother. 'Oh kami, kill me now.' Was Sakura's only thought as she inquired as to why the younger Uchiha was at her door so early in the morning, seeing as how her team wasn't due to practice until that afternoon. As she got a better look at him she noticed that he seemed slightly nervous. Odd, Sasuke was rarely, if ever, nervous, about anything.

Shifting slightly Sasuke raised his eyes to look into Sakura's jade ones before speaking. "I was wondering if you'd like to go get some breakfast with me." Ah, now she knew why he was so tense. Just then Sasuke caught movement inside Sakura's apartment right before Itachi moved into view and stepped up to stand beside her, much to Sakura's chagrin. Then Itachi's velvety voice broke through the silence a smirk adorning his lips. "Sorry, Sasuke, I seem to have beaten you to it. Sakura has already eaten."

"Sakura," Sasuke asked trying to keep his anger in check, "what is my brother doing here?"

"Well," Sakura started before she was cut off by Itachi. "I slept over." Sakura stared at him wide-eyed until she noticed the teasing look in his eyes, which meant that he was trying to cause trouble, and unfortunately it was working. Sasuke shot his brother a glare before rounding on Sakura to demand and explanation. "Is this true, Sakura?" Now Sakura was trying to keep her anger in check. "And what if it is? It's not like you and I are dating. We are teammates, Sasuke, nothing more. And you," she said rounding on Itachi, "I don't need you trying to cause trouble by leaving out important facts just trying to get a rise out of your brother!" At this point she was yelling, but you couldn't tell that by Itachi's face, because he looked even more amused by the situation than ever. She turned back to Sasuke. "Yes, he stayed the night. No, we didn't do anything. I passed out after healing him and he was nice enough to bring me home and stay over in case something bad happened. Though I'm still not quite sure why he made breakfast or why he's still shirtless."

Sasuke at least has the sense to look embarrassed. "Sorry, Sakura, I didn't mean to imply anything. I guess I'll see you at practice then."

"It's ok, and yeah, I'll be there. See you later, Sasuke." With that he turned and left a slightly fuming Sakura to deal with a very amused Itachi.

The second the door was shut Sakura smacked Itachi on the shoulder. "I can't believe you are trying to cause problems between Sasuke and I. If this is some kind of twisted little game you're playing then you can stop now." In the blink of an eye she was pressed up against the door with Itachi's hands on either side of her head and his body so close she could feel the heat radiating off of him. He moved his face closer to hers until his lips ghosted over the shell of her ear. "I don't play games, Sakura," he purred, causing her to shiver. "Then what are you doing?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. "Trying to show my foolish little brother that you don't have feelings for him anymore." The anger flared again at his response. "And how do you know that?" "Because, Sakura," his lips brushed over her ear again, "I notice everything."

Then he was gone, standing by her couch and pulling his shirt back on. Sakura was stunned. 'Was Itachi flirting with me? And if he was, what do I do about it?' Inner-Sakura decided to make herself known at this thought and demanded that Sakura jump his bones, seeing that he was gorgeous and has the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen. Sakura told her inner self to shut it, because even if she was attracted to him it would cause problems between her and Sasuke. Sakura wasn't given anymore time to think on this, though, because Itachi was standing before her once more. "Not planning on letting me go?" Itachi asked with the closest thing to a grin, that Sakura had ever seen, on his face. That's when she realized that she was still leaning against the door. "Oh, sorry," she said moving out of the way and opening the door. "I guess I'll see you later, then." He moved past her and out the door before turning back to her and leaving her with a cryptic remark. "Yes, you will." She was stunned into silence yet again as she watched his retreating form, and his very nice behind, fade into the crowd below.

**Well, that's it for now. I hope that everyone liked this chapter just as much as the last one. Please review. More reviews may mean faster uploading. **

**Bye for now.**


	3. Chapter 3

_**(Well, damn, apparently seeing all of your wonderful reviews has inspired me to get the third chapter up faster than I had anticipated. I hope that the story is going in the right direction and that none of the characters are too OOC. Well, enough talk, here's chapter 3.)**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**_

_**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**_

_Sakura: age 18_

_Sasuke: age 18_

_Itachi: age 24_

_**Take your pick**_

_**Chapter: 3**_

_Sakura was in a daze as she wandered to training ground 3 to meet her team. All of the implications over what happened that morning were swirling inside her head and she didn't know what to think about any of it. She hoped that a good sparring session would help clear her mind so she could focus. Spotting Naruto, Sasuke, and Sai lounging under one of the trees she raised a hand in greeting. "Hey," Sakura called, "You didn't start without me again, did you?" She tried to fake a disappointed look but failed and ended up laughing instead._

"_HEY, SAKURA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled in his loud and obnoxious manner._

"_Quiet, dobe, she's not deaf ya know." Sasuke stated bluntly with a smirk, trying to get a rise out of Naruto and succeeding spectacularly. _

"_What was that, Bastard?" Naruto rounded on Sasuke clearly intending to do him some form of bodily harm. "Naruto," Sakura interrupted trying to halt her friends actions, "you know that he's just trying to start a fight, like always." She shot Sasuke a glare to which he merely shrugged._

"_Are we going to practice, or not?" Sai's voice cut through the tension, causing them all to turn and look at him. "Thank you, Sai, and yes, we are," Sakura turned her attention to Naruto and Sasuke, "that is if you two are done acting like a couple of kids." "Hn." "Sorry, Sakura-chan." Naruto at least had enough sense to look ashamed._

"_So," Sakura inquired, "are we doing this as teams or everyone for themselves?" _

"_Teams." Sai and Sasuke glared at each other having both said the same thing at the exact same time. "I don't really care as long as I get to pummel something soon," was Naruto's reply. "Ok, teams it is," said Sakura while pulling on her gloves, "Now all we have to do is choose who is on who's team." "I'm with Sakura," Sasuke cut in, earning him a confused look from everyone else. "What, I'm tired of always pairing up with Naruto, it's getting boring." "But, Sasuke," Naruto pouted, "we're unstoppable as a team." "I know, that's why it's getting boring." "I guess it's you and me, Dickless," Sai quipped with one of his fake smiles plastered on his face._

"_How about Sakura and I against the three of you," came a voice as smooth as silk from behind them. All four of them whirled around to see the owner of the voice leaning against a tree close enough that at least one of them should have sensed his presence. Naruto was startled enough by this that he completely forgot to smash Sai's face in for insulting his manhood….. again. "I see you still get a kick out of sneaking up on people, Itachi," Sasuke said shooting a glare at his brother. "It's not my fault that you are as oblivious as always," was Itachi's amused response. "Damn it! Why do you always have to be such an asshole?" Itachi merely shrugged at his brother before turning to Sakura. "So, how about it, do you want team up with me, or not?" Sakura thought things over for a moment before nodding her head. "Oh, what the hell, it'll make things more interesting." "What are you saying, Sakura?" Sasuke blurted out, clearly confused by the turn of events. "I said that teaming up with Itachi would make things more interesting. Geez, Sasuke you're being almost as oblivious as Naruto. Besides, I've been wanting to see him in action for a while now." Sakura was starting to get annoyed, "So are we all through with the stupid questions?" "Hn." Sakura rolled her eyes at his typical response. "Finally. So, it's Itachi with me and you three together. GO!" _

_The two teams squared off, sizing each other up, then there was chaos. Sai was in the air on one of his ink birds raining his creations down on the opposing team. Naruto was trying his usual tactic of overwhelming his opponent with his shadow clones while Sasuke was flickering in and out of the clones trying , unsuccessfully, to land a hit on Itachi. Sakura watched as best she could while destroying Sai's ink animals and Naruto's clones. Itachi had a kunai in each hand and was flowing like water through the clones all the while blocking all of Sasuke's attacks. He was so graceful it almost looked like a dance, that is unless you felt the primal energy encompassing his every move making him more like tiger with his grace and fluidity of movement. Inner-Sakura was drooling over how his muscles rippled underneath that skin-tight mesh shirt he was so fond of. She had to agree with her inner self at this moment because damn, was he beautiful. _

_Sakura was jolted back to reality when one of Naruto's clones kicked her in the stomach, momentarily knocking the wind out of her and severely pissing her off. "Itachi!" Sakura yelled at her teammate hoping he would get the message to get the hell out of the way, then her chakra infused fist impacted with the ground causing it to rip apart. Shards of rock and clumps of earth went flying in all directions taking out Naruto's clones as well as Sai's ink animals. Itachi had caught on to her silent message and was now standing beside her. Sakura turned to face Itachi before nodding in Sasuke's direction, signaling that he should take out his brother, then she motioned at herself before nodding in Naruto's direction implying that she would deal with him. Itachi gave a slight nod and then was gone, reappearing in front of Sasuke and attacking with a rapid flurry of movements that were almost too quick to see causing the younger to go on the defensive. Sasuke was so busy blocking his brothers attacks that he didn't even have to time to use any of his jutsu._

_Sakura pushed chakra to the soles of her feet, giving her a burst of speed. She caught up with Naruto and drew him into a close combat fight, effectively cutting off his ability to make more clones, that is unless he wanted his bones broken because he left himself open. Sakura had a feral grin on her face as she kicked and punched at Naruto, feeling more alive with each passing second. Faking a punch with her left to Naruto's side Sakura caught him in the jaw with her right hook causing him to careen into the trees beyond knocking him out cold. After checking to make sure that he was still breathing she decided that she'd better deal with Sai seeing as Itachi was still locked in battle with his brother. That's when she noticed that Sai's ink animals were attacking a tree and not Itachi or herself, odd. Her brain pieced the clues together quickly enough, however, and she realized that Itachi must have trapped him in a genjutsu. 'When the hell could he have pulled that off. Damn, Itachi really is amazing, it's a good thing he's on our side.' Sakura mused to herself._

_The brothers fought on as Sakura watched from a safe distance. It was breathtaking and beautiful in a macabre kind of way, she couldn't tear her eyes away if she wanted to. The flurries of punches and kicks were all blurring together and Sakura couldn't tell if either one was landing any blows on the other. At this point Sai had dispelled the genjutsu and decided that he was beaten because of how long it took him to figure it out, also, Naruto had come to and was sauntering over to Sakura so he could get a good view of the fight. "Oi, Sakura-chan, do you always have to hit so hard?" Naruto whined when he got close enough for Sakura to hear him but still out of range of her fists. "Of course," she replied matter-of-factly, "It's the only way I have a chance against you guys, by taking you out with the first hit." "Yes, but you're not supposed to try to kill us." Sakura couldn't help but laugh at his sullen remark. "Ok, Naruto, next time I'll only knock you through one tree instead of two," she said trying to suppress her giggles while he pouted._

"_So, who do you think will win?" Naruto wondered aloud. "Dunno, but Sasuke seems to be getting angry and you know how he tends to slip up when he's pissed off." It had to have been fate, because not two seconds after she spoke Sasuke was kicked through the air and landed in a crumpled heap a few meters away. By the time Sakura got to his side to check if he had any major injuries he was already picking himself up off the ground. "Sasuke, are you alright?" Sakura called her healing chakra to her hands and tried to check him over. "I'm fine," Sasuke growled out, pushing her hands away. Sakura started getting annoyed at his childish behavior. "Would you quit being so stubborn and let me look at you?" "I said I'm fine!" Sasuke snapped. "You should listen to her, Sasuke." "I don't need you telling me what to do, Itachi! So, just butt out!" Sasuke was nearly screaming he was so angry at his brothers intrusion. "As you wish," Itachi stated with almost no emotion to his voice, except possibly slight irritation at his brother's words, and on that note he turned and walked over to Sakura. _

"_Sakura," his voice was a low purr and the way her name rolled off his tongue was almost sinful, "I do hope that we can do this again." He reached out and tucked a stray bit of her rosette hair behind her ear before letting his fingers trail down her neck making her shiver at his touch. "Uh, sure." Her brain wasn't responding enough to work up a better reply, it didn't matter though, because Itachi was already gone, leaving her alone with her team._

"_Oi, Sakura-chan, what the hell is up with you and Itachi?" Naruto was looking at her questioningly obviously disturbed by what had just taken place._

"_I have no idea, Naruto." It was the truth, Sakura didn't have a clue as to why the elder Uchiha suddenly seemed so interested in her. The only thing that made it weirder was the fact that Sasuke seemed to be showing his interest in her as well. Kami, she was confused. She wasn't given any time to sort through things, however, because Sasuke placed his hand on her shoulder gaining her attention. "Sakura, I'm sorry for snapping at you, it's just that he makes me so angry." Sasuke clenched his fist and looked at the ground in contemplation. "I don't hate him anymore, but I can't stand him either. He's always taunting me whether he does it on purpose or not. Do you understand what I'm saying?" His eyes searched hers for any sign of understanding, thankfully he found some. "Yeah, I get it," Sakura's eyes softened with her response, "It must be hard to look at him differently when he hurt you so much, when he took everything away, even if it was an order." Sasuke drew her into a hug and whispered against her hair, "I'm glad, it's hard to show my pain, but to you I can. I want to be more to you, to let you in so that you can be my light in the dark." 'Shit!' Sakura cursed herself as she pulled out of his embrace. How was she going to make him understand that she didn't feel that way about him anymore and that he shouldn't share himself so intimately with her. _

"_If you guys are done being mushy," Naruto cut in, "Can we go get something to eat? I'm starving." Sakura's stomach decided to make an appearance at the mention of food, grumbling loudly. "Wow, Sakura, are you keeping a lion in there?" Naruto teased, making her blush slightly. "Dobe." "Bastard." "Hn." "Damn it, Sasuke, do you always have to get the last word in?" "Hn." Sakura laughed at the childish banter going on between her two friends as they walked to Ichiraku for some ramen. It had become a ritual for them to eat there after training. After ordering they sat and talked about nothing in particular until Sakura excused herself. "Well, I'm going to go home before I fall asleep. Bye guys, I'll catch you later." She waved to them as she left, smiling at each of them as they said their goodbyes._

_Her walk home was uneventful, only pausing to chat with a few of the other shinobi she saw on a regular basis. As she turned onto the street her apartment was on she spotted a familiar shock of silver hair and ever-present orange bound book. "Hey, Kakashi!" She called to him with a wave. Ever since she reached the rank of Jonin she dropped the sensei from his name, to which he was thankful because he always said it made him feel old even if he was only 32. Lowering the book at her greeting, Kakashi waved back. "Ah, Sakura, I haven't seen you in a while. How's life treating you?" "Pretty good, though I have been fairly busy at the hospital. I hope that they hurry up and get more medics trained." Her tone was serious but not angry as she spoke about her work. "I'm glad you're doing ok, Sakura, but take it easy, I can't have my favorite medic crashing on me." His voice was slightly teasing but still kind. "Hmph, the only reason I'm your favorite medic is because I'll treat you outside of the hospital as long as it's nothing too serious." Kakashi laughed nervously while rubbing the back of his head. "Ha ha, you got me there, well I have somewhere that I have to be. Ja." Sakura shook her head at his retreating form. Some things never change, and for that she was grateful. Now all she had to do is figure out why the two Uchiha were so interested in her all of a sudden._

_Before she knew it she was at her apartment door and putting her key in the lock. Sakura was so immersed in her thoughts that she didn't notice the figure standing just past her door leaning on the railing. "Hello Sakura." There it was again, his silken voice making her name sound so sinful. She turned slowly, almost afraid to look at him while her thoughts were still so turbulent, afraid of what she might do if he kept talking to her in that low purr that was like velvet brushing over her senses. She let out a frustrated sigh. "What are you doing here Itachi?" "I thought that would be obvious, to see you." Her jade orbs wandered over his lithe frame up to his face and, finally his eyes. He was really starting to grate on her nerves. "I really need to get to bed, I'm still not at my best and I have to be at the hospital," she glanced at her watch, "in about nine hours. That gives me enough time to shower and sleep before my shift." "That won't be a problem, I talked to Tsunade about you completely draining yourself and she decided it would be best if you had a few days off. Then she sent me to inform you of her decision." The amused glint was back in his eyes and his lips carried that smirk that all Uchihas seemed to possess as he told her the news. "So, here I am." _

"_Ok, now I know, so why are you still here?" Her hands were on her hips and her eyes showed her irritation. The smirk grew until it was almost a grin due to his amusement as he stalked over to her, his body moving with that feline grace and the look in his eyes almost feral. Sakura suddenly felt like prey to the predatory look he was giving her. She wanted to bolt into her apartment and shut the door, but her body didn't want to obey her commands. All she could do was stare in horrid fascination as he moved to stand mere inches in front of her. He moved his head until his lips brushed the shell of her ear and Sakura was suddenly struck with deja'vu. "I'm still here because I wanted to thank you properly for allowing me to spar with you." Her voice was soft but at least it didn't shake when she asked, "And how are you going to do that?" She felt him pull away from her ear and was hoping that he would move away when she felt his lips touch hers and all rational thought ceased at the feeling. Sakura fell, she fell into his embrace because she could do nothing else as his lips moved against hers causing shivers to run up and down her spine, kami it felt so good, and then it was over. He was moving away and she wasn't sure if she was happy about this or if she wanted to keep feeling the wonderful sensation of his lips on hers. She wasn't given a choice, however, because the next moment he spoke._

"_Until next time, Sakura."_

_**And with that, this chapter is at an end, please don't hate me for the cliffhanger. Things will definitely begin to heat up in the next few chapters. Also, if any of you readers has any fan art for this fic please send me the link so I can post it on my profile.**_

_**Bye for now.**_


	4. Chapter 4

**(Ok, I give up, no more begging me to update. And so, here is chapter four)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 4**

Sakura lay in bed staring at her ceiling, because try as she might, she just couldn't sleep. That was ok, she didn't have anything important to do the next day, so she was free to lie there and ponder over the last couple days events. At this point, she decided, things were just plain odd. Not with Itachi, no, she hadn't seen him since he kissed her and then left with a promise of next time. As messed up as that was, it wasn't the most pressing matter.

**Flashback:**

"_Sakura." Sasuke's voice came from behind her making her turn around to greet her friend and teammate. "Oh, hey Sasuke, what's up?" His dark eyes searched hers for a moment before he spoke, he seemed troubled about something. "I saw you with my brother last night." His voice was soft but still slightly accusing. "Why did he kiss you, and why did you let him?" Sasuke was starting to become panicked as he questioned her which worried Sakura about his mental stability since she knew he was still going through therapy over everything that happened with his brother. His onslaught of questions did not cease, however. "Is there something going on between the two of you? Sakura, I need to know, because…" he stopped seemingly in deep thought before he moved suddenly, grasping her shoulders in his bruising grip. "…because, I thought I was special to you, that I was the one in your heart. Please Sakura, please tell me that I'm wrong and that you don't feel anything for __**him**__." _

_Sasuke's onyx eyes were beseeching, imploring her to tell him what he wanted to hear, but she couldn't, so she looked away from his hopeful gaze. "I don't know what I feel, Sasuke, I'm so confused right now." Her eyes flicked up to his face, hoping that he would understand what she was about to tell him. "You are special to me Sasuke, and you will always be in my heart, but not in the way you want. I can't be what you want me to be, what you need me to be, I don't feel that way about you, and I haven't for a long time." Sakura was almost in tears, she hoped that she would never have to tell him how her feelings for him had faded into a more familial love, that her heart didn't race at the mere thought of him. It hurt her to tell him these things in his broken state, but if she let this go then things could get very bad very quickly. "Oh, I guess… I guess I'll leave you alone, then." He sounded so crestfallen that Sakura felt the need to apologize, pulling him into a hug, she cried out hoping for his forgiveness. "I'm so sorry, Sasuke, I really hoped that it would never come to this. The last thing I wanted was for you to be hurt, especially after all of the pain that you've suffered through." Then she released him and ran away, because she couldn't face those pain-filled eyes that refused to weep. That' ok, she would weep for him._

**End flashback.**

Sakura was troubled at the way Sasuke handled the whole ordeal. She expected him to be depressed, angry, or even act as if nothing happened, but she did not foresee this. He was trying to get her to date him, being overly affectionate and buying her gifts, which she turned down, all of it, but he just wouldn't accept that she no longer had feelings for him. He was being so persistent that he seemed to be stalking her, showing up at odd places while she was out like he had been following her. He also seemed to get hurt frequently just so that he had an excuse to see her during her shifts at the hospital. Sighing, she decided to speak with Tsunade about his behavior in the morning before rolling over and finally succumbing to sleep.

Sakura jerked awake, not sure what woke her until a strange tapping sounded at her window. Crawling out of bed, she decided to investigate. 'It had better not be Sasuke,' she thought, 'because I am too tired to deal with his bullshit tonight.' When she saw what awaited her just beyond the glass she wasn't sure whether this was better or worse than her original assumption. Out on her balcony stood a battered and blood-soaked Itachi. "Holy hell, what happened to you?" "Ambush," he replied weakly. "Why didn't you go to the hospital?" She asked as she helped him into her apartment. "Didn't think… that I… would make it…" He trailed off at the end before promptly passing out. Sakura heaved a sigh as she lifted him onto her bed so that she could get to work.

Four hours and a shit-load of chakra later, Sakura was finally done patching him up. She was surprised he made it as far as her apartment in the condition he was in. He had several stab wounds, multiple lacerations, three broken ribs, and a half dozen internal injuries, not to mention that his body now seemed like one big bruise. She was forced to remove his soiled clothing to be able to dress a few of his wounds which left him naked under her sheets, save for the bandages. Sakura was about to go sleep on her couch when dizziness rolled over her. She decided to lay down for a minute until she felt better, but sleep tugged at her exhausted form so she figured it wouldn't hurt crawl under the blanked for a short nap.

By the time Sakura woke the next day the sun was already low on the horizon, she didn't mind, though, because she was wrapped in a warm embrace. Wait a minute, embrace? Horrified at what she would discover she slowly drew her eyes up the expanse of naked chest only to be met with the dark eyes of a very awake Itachi. She tried to pull away from his body only to be trapped by his arms around her molding her to his side. Belatedly, Sakura remembered that he was naked when she noticed that her legs were tangled with his. Blushing furiously at her predicament, she tried to stammer out an apology for waking up next to his naked form. "I… ummm… well I… oh, damn," was all that would come. Itachi laughed softly at her embarrassment. "Is that any way to greet your patient?" "Yeah, well, I've never fallen asleep and then woken up next to a patient, so I'm not quite sure how to react, especially since you're naked." "Ah, so I am." At his response her blush turned from pink to crimson.

Sakura shifted against him, clearly uncomfortable, before finally speaking up in a strained little whisper. "Would you… ummm… ya know, let me up?" "No, I'm quite comfortable with you right here," Itachi stated while drawing her closer and nuzzling her neck. "Do you really wish to be let go, Sakura?" He practically purred next to her ear causing her to shiver as his breath ghosted across her flesh. "I… well, I… uh…" "Yes?" "No." It was almost inaudible but with her so close he definitely heard. Itachi had a contented smile playing across his lip as he felt Sakura cuddle up against him fitting her head under his chin. They drifted back to sleep soon after, both still very much exhausted even after almost a full days rest.

The next time Sakura awoke, she was alone in her bed, which was confusing since Itachi's clothes had been cut off, the only salvageable thing being his Anbu vest and that was definitely not enough to cover himself. That's when she heard it, running water, and before she could stop herself she was envisioning a naked, wet Itachi with his hair plastered to his shoulders and chest. She was shaking her head trying to rid herself of the thought when the bathroom door opened to reveal Itachi almost exactly how she imagined, the only difference being the towel that was slung low on his slender hips. Damn, if he didn't look mouth-wateringly sexy in this moment, she didn't know what did.

"Like what you see?" His silky purr made Sakura realize that she had been staring and she flushed pink under his heated gaze. "I uh…" Damn it, why was she always stuttering around this man, it's not like she had never seen it all before, she was a medic after all. Maybe it was the fact that he was almost god-like in his beauty, nah, that couldn't possibly be the reason, she told herself unconvincingly. Before she could come up with an intelligent reply he was stalking towards her, his muscles rippling under his skin making her mouth go dry. She couldn't look away, couldn't move, she was trapped and completely at his mercy.

**And so ends chapter 4. Muhah ha ha! Another cliffhanger! LOL! I know, this chapter is kinda short compared the last one but I couldn't resist leaving it at this perfect moment. Please don't kill me because if you do you'll never get to see all the lemony goodness. And remember more reviews means faster uploading.**

**Well, bye for now.**


	5. Chapter 5

**(I have one request before you read this chapter. Please ****Don't**** murder me for what I am about to do. Now that I have that said, on with the chapter!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 5**

Sakura's mind was racing, telling her to flee, but her body just wouldn't listen. She sat there, frozen on her bed as if she were trapped in some form of genjutsu, but no, she was trapped by a look. Itachi's eyes roved over her body clad in an over-sized t-shirt and panties, but it was as if he could see right through her clothing and was admiring the naked flesh just beneath. He had now moved close enough for her to reach out and touch that flawless body, her eyes following the trails of moisture that dripped from his hair and flowed in tiny rivulets down his chest. Sakura finally found her voice, though it was barely above a whisper. "Don't you think you should finish drying your hair?" "Ah, you're absolutely right," he said turning his back on her. She prayed that he would go back to the bathroom for another towel so that maybe she could get away, but when his hands dropped to the towel at his waist her hopes died.

Itachi smirked to himself when he heard a soft gasp behind him as he tugged the towel off his lower half and used it to rub away the remaining moisture from his hair and chest at a leisurely pace, allowing Sakura to get a good view of his back, and what a view it was. She licked her lips as she watched the muscles glide under his ivory skin, and oh, my kami, did he have the nicest ass she had ever seen, and being a medic meant that the number she had seen was quite high. She would have been drooling on herself had her mouth not been so dry. Sakura watched as the towel dropped to the floor as he turned to face her again. Her breath caught in her throat and she decided that he was indeed the most beautiful creature she had ever laid eyes on. Itachi was watching her every reaction as he combed his fingers through ebony locks.

The predatory look was back in his eyes as he watched her shift on the bed looking as if she were ready to bolt at any second, he couldn't have that now could he. Before Sakura could comprehend what had happened, she was pinned to her bed and Itachi was ravishing her mouth. Her eyes were wide for a moment before sliding closed as she let everything go and decided to just _feel._ Itachi was mildly surprised when she fisted her hands in his hair, pulling him closer and deepening the kiss, but being an Uchiha, he recovered quickly. A low rumble resonated from deep in his chest as her tongue invaded his mouth, signifying his approval and causing pleasurable shivers to run down her spine. Sakura moaned into his mouth when she wrapped her legs around Itachi's waist causing his very large erection to press into her core. He only relinquished his position at her sweet mouth to run his lips, tongue and teeth over her sensitive neck and down to her collar bone. When he reached the top of her sleep shirt she was roughly flipped over so that she was now straddling him and he was deftly removing her shirt so that he could get to more of her smooth flesh.

Sakura's face, neck and chest flushed a shade of pink paler than her hair as his eyes and hands wandered over her body. Itachi slid his hands up her sides to cup her pert breasts causing more of those wonderful sounds to fall from her lips as he slowly massaged the supple mounds before moving his arms behind her back. Sakura made an irritated noise low in her throat when he stopped his ministrations, but it quickly turned into a purr as she was pressed forward so that Itachi could capture one of her nipples with his mouth, sucking and nibbling the now hardened bud. Sakura arched into his touch raking her nails lightly over his chest, marring the pale perfection with thin red lines earning her a growl against her sensitive flesh. Itachi could no longer restrain himself, he flipped them again so that he could remove the article of clothing that separated them, baring her before his eyes. Sakura was beyond hot and bothered, she not only wanted this, she _needed_ it.

That's when it happened, his body vanished from on top of her, the sheet was pulled over her naked form and Itachi was holding a kunai to the throat of some un-named Anbu that had appeared in her bedroom. 'Just fucking great!' Sakura thought, seething. 'And Itachi doesn't seem any happier than I am.' She smiled inwardly at that thought while snapping out a question at the Anbu. "What do you want?" "My apologies Haruno-san, Uchiha-san, for interrupting your… uh… activities, but the Hokage wishes to see you both immediately." Itachi lowered the kunai. "Fine." With that the Anbu vanished in a puff of smoke, leaving them alone once again.

"We'd better not keep her waiting," Sakura said as she went about dressing herself. When she noticed that Itachi hadn't moved she arched a brow. "Aren't you coming?" His eyes scanned the floor over to where his ruined clothes lay. "Oh shit," Sakura berated herself, "I think I have something that might fit you, all of my work-out clothes are things I've picked up from my team." She rummaged around in her closet for a moment before emerging with a pair of standard Jonin pants and a black mesh shirt almost identical to the ones he normally wore. The clothing fit well enough and in moments he was ready and waiting for her to finish pulling on her sandals. Moments later they arrived at the Hokage Tower only to bump into Sasuke who, it seemed, was also summoned. They didn't have long to wait before Shizune ushered them into the office where they lined up before the Hokage waiting for her to tell them what was so important.

Tsunade motioned for Shizune to leave before speaking. "Itachi, Sasuke, I have a mission for the two of you," a sly smile etched it's way across her features, "You have three years to complete this mission and before you complain," she looked at Sasuke, "you can't back out or turn it down. The only way to get out of this is if you don't pass your physical, which must be taken before the end of the day. That is where you come in, Sakura." Tsunade handed a scroll to each of them and motioned for them to be read.

"WHAT THE HELL?" The shrill screech came from… Sasuke?

Tsunade smirked. "I thought that I was quite clear, Sasuke, or do you need me to explain it further?" The only outward sigh that the mission shocked Itachi was the one eyebrow that arched while reading the scroll, whereas Sasuke seemed about ready to hyperventilate and Sakura was re-reading her scroll for the tenth time trying to figure out if it was some kind of twisted joke. "Are you serious?" Sasuke still sounded like he was in shock. "I mean, how do you expect me to find the right girl, get married and have kids in only three years time and what does a physical have to do with any of this?" By this point he seemed to have developed a twitch in his left eye. "Well," Tsunade answered seriously, "either you find someone or I do. And the physical is to make sure that you are not sterile." Sakura hung her head, so much for it being a joke, now she had to make sure that not only Sasuke's equipment worked properly, but Itachi's as well, it was going to be a long day.

"You're awfully quiet, Itachi, what are your thoughts on this?" Itachi's eyes glinted deviously and a smirk graced his lips before he spoke. "In all honesty, Hokage-sama, I was attempting to complete the mission before it was issued." His eyes slid over to Sakura's blushing form before returning to stare at Tsunade who laughed at his brazen statement. "In any case, you all have your orders, now get out of my office." Both Uchihas turned to leave but Sakura stayed behind.

"Is there something else, Sakura?" She waited until the door was firmly shut before speaking. "Yes, Shishou, I'm worried about Sasuke." "How so?" Sakura related all of Sasuke's disturbing behavior to Tsunade who didn't seem at all phased by the news. "I should have seen this coming," she said wearily, "I'll have his therapist look into this matter and try medicating him. Thank you for letting me know, it might have caused some serious problems." "No problem, Shishou, I just hope he can get over this." She was about to leave when Tsunade's amused voice stopped her. "So, Sakura, what is it with you and attracting Uchihas?" Sakura didn't answer, instead she rolled her eyes and stormed out followed by loud peals of laughter.

**I know, this chapter is kinda short too, but I had to run with this idea. I hope you all like what I'm doing with this story and if not then don't read it. Also, if anyone has any fan-art that would work for this fic send me the link and I'll put it up in my profile. Ok, I'll see you next chapter. Remember more reviews means faster uploading.**

**Bye for now.**


	6. Chapter 6

**(Sorry for taking so long to post this chapter but I've had a horrible case of writer's block and decided not to push it. So today everything kinda spilled out, I hope you like it. Thanks again for the reviews and I hope that this chapter will earn me just as much love as the previous ones.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 6**

Later that afternoon, Sakura found herself sitting in her office trying to get a handle on her nerves. As she stared down the two files in front of her she thought back onto that morning's events. Flashing on Itachi's beautifully sculpted and very naked body made her face flush uncomfortably. Shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts Sakura tried to get back to the problem at hand, examining the two Uchiha males. Resigned to her fate, she rose and picking up the charts wandered out to the waiting room where both men sat.

"Sasuke, please go to exam room two, strip down and put the gown on." Her attention turned. "Itachi, same thing but go to exam room four." With that said Sakura went to gather up the supplies she'd need while attempting to ignore the heated looks from the two brothers.

Sasuke sat stiffly on the edge of the exam table, kami did he hate how exposed this damn gown made him feel, though he wasn't given much time to think on it before the door opened revealing Sakura with a tray of supplies and a few magazines under her arm. After setting the tray on the counter she handed Sasuke a small cup and the magazines to which he raised an eyebrow. "Ok, before I begin your physical I need you to give a semen sample. You can go into the bathroom or I can leave the room until you're finished, just crack the door open to let me know, and I'm sure that you can figure out what the magazines are for." Sakura hoped that she sounded professional but when all he did was sit there with a curious look on his face she started to fidget. "Umm… well," she turned to the door, "I'll just leave you to it." She started to leave but was stopped by a hand on her wrist. Sasuke turned her to face him. "Is there something else that you need, Sasuke?" "Yes, there is. I don't think that those," he motioned towards the magazines on the table, "are going to work." "Well, there are also movies, I could go get them." She tried to pull out of his grip but was suddenly jerked backwards into his body.

Sasuke leaned into her and spoke so close to her ear that his lips brushed over it. "No, Sakura, I think I need a more hands on approach." He stepped forward pushing her back into the wall with his body pressed against her and Sakura could tell that he was very happy to be there. "Sasuke, please let me go." She tried to be nice knowing that he was unstable and she really didn't want to hurt him. Sasuke didn't answer, instead he moved his head so that he could kiss along her neck. "Damn it, Sasuke, I said let go!" Sakura was starting to panic as she tried to push him off but he only grabbed her other wrist and pinned them above her head.

BAM! The door to the room was slammed open. "Sasuke, I don't have any reservations about hurting you, so I suggest that you release her." Itachi's voice was low and smooth without a trace of emotion to let you know what he was feeling, but Sakura could see the cold fury in his eyes. Sasuke growled at Itachi. "No! I will not let you take anything else away from me!" Sakura was getting angry and so, using just enough chakra, she jerked her hands out of his grip and pushed him off.

SMACK! The force of the slap rocked Sasuke's head back and split his lip. Sakura was livid. "Listen here! He can't take something that never belonged to you! I am not some object that you can lay claim to without my consent! Now," she poked him in the chest, "you will do as I instructed before you decided to be a prick and after that you will sit quietly, keep your hands to yourself and let me finish your physical. Understood?" Sasuke wouldn't meet her gaze as he nodded his head. "Good." She turned to Itachi who was leaning against the doorframe in just his black pants. "Thanks for the help but I can handle things from here. I'll be in to deal with your exam in a second." Itachi gave a slight nod before heading back to his room.

After that little fiasco she finished the exams without further incident, though she was sure the only reason Itachi was so compliant was due to the murderous look in her eyes while she was handling his manhood. Now she was heading to the tower to give her report and talk about Sasuke's escalated behavior. Tsunade was happy to hear that both Uchiha men were fully capable to restore their clan though she didn't seem all that surprised about Sasuke and decided to put him under surveillance until she was sure that his treatment was working.

Sakura was tired, not just physically, but also mentally. She was tired of Sasuke's bullshit and worried for him at the same time. She really needed time to think things through, everything was happening so fast. She needed someone to talk to and, even if she was loath to admit it, Ino was the best person to talk to when it came to men. Ten minutes later she arrived at the flower shop that was owned by Ino's family, she sighed and went inside where she was met with the loud cry of. "Forehead!" Sakura smiled, some things never change. "Hey, Pig, I need to talk to you." "Oh, well, let's go get some dinner and you can tell me what's on your mind."

The two girls were sitting in Sakura's apartment eating take-out and talking about what happened with Sasuke and Itachi. "Damn," Ino said, bewildered, "how the hell did you get Konaha's two most eligible bachelors after you?" "I honestly don't know, but now that I don't feel that way about Sasuke I can't get him to leave me alone." "Who woulda thought that he'd turn into some kinda psycho stalker," Ino mused. "Since he found out everything about his clan he's been pretty out of it. I want to help him, but I don't want him to take it the wrong way." Sakura let out a heavy sigh and Ino decided to change the topic. "So, you never told me what Itachi looks like naked." Sakura choked on her drink, "WHAT?" "Well, you said that he practically mauled you, right? And I figured that if I have to help you out with your man problems then the least you could do is tell me all the juicy details," Ino said with a sly smile knowing that she always got her way.

Sakura stared at her friend for a minute before relenting. "Fine, but you can't let any of this information slip, got it?" Ino perked up. "Yeah sure, now spill it." "Well… he's got the most perfectly sculpted bodies I've ever seen, and you know how many male bodies I see every day." "Yeah, yeah," Ino interrupted, "now what about his assets?" Sakura blushed like mad. "What do you mean?" "Duh, is it big, small, or what?" If at all possible, Sakura turned an even deeper shade of red. "Um… I guess he would be considered well endowed." Ino rolled her eyes, "Yes, but how well?" "Really well," Sakura said in a small voice before showing Ino an approximation using her hands. Ino's eyes widened. "Damn, Forehead, you sure hit the jack-pot on this one."

Sakura knew she had to get rid of Ino before she pestered her for any more information. "Yeah, I guess, but I still need time to think about all this." Ino just looked at her like she was stupid. "What's there to think about. He's gorgeous and hot for you, stop thinking and jump him." "Ino." Sakura shot the blonde a warning glare. "Ok, ok, I'll leave you alone for now but I meant what I said. Besides, if you think about this too much you'll end up talking yourself out of him, and Kami knows you need a good lay." Sakura jumped up and started hauling Ino towards the door. "Alright, that's it, get out before I beat you to a pulp." Ino laughed at Sakura as she left knowing that it was an idle threat, well, for the moment, it wouldn't be if she pushed it.

After shutting the door Sakura decided to take a hot bath so that she could relax and figure things out. AS she soaked the tension away her mind was clouded with thoughts of Itachi. Did she really like him or was it just lust, and if she did have feelings for him did he feel the same? The more she thought about it the more confused she got. Maybe she should listen to Ino and stop thinking so much. Sakura laughed to herself, was she really contemplating listening to Ino?

Damn, she felt like she was losing her mind. Why did her life only seem to be getting more complicated? If only she could get an answer to that question. If there even is an answer.

**That's all for now. See you next time.**


	7. Chapter 7

**(Yay! I am feeling the love! Please continue with all the wonderful reviews. Ok, here's chapter 7, sorry it took a few days to put up but I had some other things to get done.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 7**

Itachi sat on the roof of his house in the Uchiha complex staring up at the stars deep in thought. 'Why am I so drawn to this pink haired medic? Every time I'm near her she makes my body burn. It feels as if there is a strong connection between us, but I'm not sure what it could be.' He wasn't sure what to make of his feelings for Sakura, the only thing he was sure of was that he wanted to make her his. Deciding that a good nights sleep might help him clear his head he jumped down from the roof onto his balcony and slipped inside. Removing everything but his black pants he climbed into bed with images of Sakura still plaguing his thoughts. She seemed to be turning into something of an addiction to him.

It was now 1 a.m. and Itachi had gotten no sleep whatsoever. He tossed and turned but couldn't seem to get comfortable. Now that he thought about it, the last time he got a full nights sleep had been at Sakura's with her pressed to his side. Red eyes narrowed in the dark room. Well, if that was his only option for sleep then he wasn't one to complain. 'To hell with it,' he thought as he climbed out of bed and pulled his shirt and sandals on. 'I hope she doesn't mind late night visitors, and if she does,' he smiled, almost a baring of teeth, 'then I'll just have to placate her.' His fingers tingled with just the thought of running them over her tender flesh. Oh, he definitely had to see her now.

Stealthy and silent as a wraith he slipped over the rooftops to Sakura's apartment and landed on her balcony so he could see inside. To his surprise she was awake. She was awake, pacing and seemingly muttering to herself. Odd. Itachi cocked his head to the side as he watched her. Was she having the same problems as him? And if she was, what would she do about them. He was curious to know what she was thinking in this moment. Did her body ache for his? Did she miss his warmth and presence when he was gone? Did she think about him constantly as he did her?

This was infuriating, and getting him nowhere fast. He didn't understand what was happening to him, the logical part of his mind wasn't working when it came to Sakura. He couldn't just sit back and puzzle things out like he normally did. He didn't know how to get through this mess that was a jumble of thoughts and emotions he had never dealt with before. Sure he had cared for someone before, he cared very much for his younger brother, but he had never found a woman worth his time and effort and it was confusing. The more he thought about her the more confusing things became. He had never experienced such raw emotion before and it was a little frightening, he definitely had to figure this out soon or he was sure to go mad.

Watching her pace back and forth was making him dizzy and he needed to talk to her if he was to sort things out. Maybe she would know what to do, she had to have more experience about these things than he did, right? His head was pounding and his mind was swirling with confused thoughts. How did normal people deal with this sort of thing on a daily basis, that was another mystery he would look into. Maybe he should talk to Kakashi about this with the hopes that he wouldn't try to murder him for messing with his ex-student. On that note, maybe he shouldn't. He needed to talk to someone who knew what he was going through, but who? Naruto was oblivious and a loudmouth, Sasuke was out of the question for obvious reasons. Genma would be his best bet on this matter but he was such a player that he might give him misinformation due to him wanting to go after Sakura and then Itachi would have to kill him. Kami, this was so complicated, and he feared that it would only get worse as time progressed.

Maybe she would make things easier by coming to him, but it wasn't something he could count on. Maybe she had just as much experience with these matters as he did, which wouldn't help at all. In fact, it would probably make things worse. No, he had to take things into his own hands if anything was going to get done in a timely fashion. He knew that he couldn't push her, doing so would either make her bolt or try to pummel him. His normal mind games wouldn't do because he wanted her to actually be with him and not just as a fling. He would have to let her know how he truly felt, if he could ever sort out exactly what it is he felt. He knew he wanted to make her his and only his, but how to get that across to her. He knew she was a very intelligent woman but how should he go about explaining this when he didn't really understand it himself. Hopefully he could just tell her the facts and she would piece it together from there. Yeah, that might work.

Making up his mind to act first he decided to stop her incessant pacing by tapping on the window. Sakura's head immediately snapped up in the direction of the noise and she was startled by what she saw. A very tired and stressed Itachi was crouched on her balcony asking entrance. For a moment she wondered if he had another bad mission but didn't think that was the case since he was wearing normal clothing. Wondering what the hell he could want at this ungodly hour she decided to let him in. Itachi slipped into her bedroom and perched on the end of her bed waiting for her to question his intentions.

Sakura watched him, calmly sitting on her bed as if waiting for her to speak, so she did just that. "Itachi, what are you doing here?" She thought it best to get right to the point.

"I came to see you."

"I get that, but why?" She hated when he refused to elaborate.

"I can't sleep." Was his simple reply. "And what, you want to sleep here?" She was starting to get confused by his actions, not that she hadn't been already, but now it was worse. Just what did he want with her?

"I seem to actually sleep when I am with you or at least near you. It has been years since I have slept through an entire night and I only seem to be able to accomplish this with you."

Sakura was so awe struck by such an honest answer that for a minute she was unable to reply. "Ok, but why me?" Her voice came out small and weak.

Itachi stood and stepped in front of her close enough for their bodies to touch. "That is what I want to figure out. I want to analyze this connection we seem to have. I want to know why my skin aches to touch you, why my pulse quickens when you are near." He cupped her cheek and made her look at him while he brought his lips a breath away from hers. "I want to explore all these new feelings I experience only around you." Then his lips were on hers and all thought stopped, everything was sensation. His lips were like warm silk and hers like some succulent fruit that just had to be tasted. He savored the feel of her pressed against the front of his body wearing only an over-sized t-shirt and panties, of her pert breasts as they rubbed against his chest with every breath, of her small waist as his hands gripped her and finally of her warmth seeping into his very core. Yes, it was safe to say that he not only wanted her, but he needed her and everything she was.

Slowly, Itachi pulled away from her allowing them to breath. Sakura's skin was flushed and she was breathing rapidly. He seemed almost drunk on her presence, as if being near her was the best thing in the world and he would be damned if he gave her up. "Sakura." She seemed startled at hearing her name. "I know what I want from you."

"And that is?"

He pulled her into his arms. "Everything, I want everything from you, and in return I shall give you everything that I am." She looked into his eyes to see if he was serious and what she saw scared her, determination. A determination so strong that nothing would keep him from making her his. At this moment Sakura didn't think, she allowed her heart to decide for her and said the only thing that could be said at this moment. "Alright, but if you hurt me," she looked into his eyes, her gaze hard, "I will break you."

Itachi chuckled at her brash nature. "Deal. Now, how about we get some sleep, I'm sure we both have to be up early." Sakura only nodded as she was led to the bed. He stripped off his shirt and sandals and climbed in next to her and wrapped her in his arms. They drifted off quickly secure in the other's embrace. Yes, this is where they belonged.

**Ok, people, that's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. I also want to remind everyone that I'm looking for some good fan-art to go with this fic, so if anyone has any please send me the link and I'll post it on my profile. Remember: More reviews equals faster uploading. **

**Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**(Wow, I am on a roll with this story. I decided to revise this chapter due to the fact that some people were offended with me using someone else's sex scene in my story because I thought I wouldn't be any good at writing them, but I promise you this is all out of my disturbed mind. So, with no further ado, here's chapter 8. On with the lemony goodness!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in this and later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 8**

Itachi awoke slowly, luxuriating in the feel of Sakura's body wrapped around his own. He had never felt such contentment in all his life. At this moment he was… happy. That thought made him pause, had he never been happy before this moment? Had his life really been so awful that he had never experienced true happiness? If this was how his life was going to be from now on he was never going to let Sakura go, even if it killed him. He looked down at the sleeping girl in his arms and smiled, yes he definitely wanted to make this last as long as possible. He was relaxed and calm even after the torrential mood of last night, which seemed like a miracle even to Itachi. He closed his eyes intent on drifting off again when Sakura moved against him alerting him to her awakened state. His onyx orbs drifted down to her warm jade ones, she was smiling up at him.

Sakura nuzzled Itachi's neck and purred. "Mmmmmm… Good morning."

Pleasurable tingles swept down his body at that sound and he was painfully aware of his straining erection. Without even thinking about it he rolled over, hovering above her as he kissed down her jaw and nipped at her neck letting out his own rumble of satisfaction at the noises she was now making. Nothing short of a natural disaster was going to interrupt them this time, he was going to make her his and nothing was going to stop him. Sakura's hands stroked over his back and chest earning her a growl of approval when she dipped down to the waistband of his pants in order to undo them. 'She must be as frustrated as I am. Well, that makes things easy.' A smile curved his lips at the thought as he jerked her up so that he could remove her shirt and lavish her perfect breasts with attention.

Sakura moaned and arched into his touch as she tangled one of her hands into his hair and drew the nails of the other up his spine making him hiss. In retaliation to her nails he grazed his teeth over her nipple causing her to yelp in surprise and dig her nails into his shoulder. Propping himself up on one arm he used his other hand to pinch and roll her nipple on the unattended breast. It was all too much, her warmth, her voice, her supple body and intoxicating aroma, he was losing himself and he wasn't sure he cared as long as he could keep feeling this euphoria. More, he wanted to feel more of her. He ran his tongue between her breasts and down to her stomach, finally stopping to run it just under the lip of her panties. Sakura was in heaven, the feel of Itachi's mouth hot and wet on her skin was almost too much. She craved his touch like no other before him and she was sure that there would be none after that could ever make her feel this way. She lifted her hips so that he could divest her of the last of her clothing and with them gone he leaned back to admire her beauty. Itachi had never seen a creature as lovely as Sakura, with her pink locks, ivory skin and jade eyes she was anything if not exotic, and now she was here beneath him and all his. His smile was almost feral as he lowered his head to nip at her inner thigh causing them to part and allowing him to see that she was completely shaved. Perfect.

He dipped his tongue into her wet folds, tasting her. He relished in the sounds she made, gasps and moans, and decided that he needed to hear more, he wanted her pleasure filled screams to echo off the walls. Delving deeper into her core he grazed his teeth over her swollen bud eliciting a choked shout. Grasping the nub gently between his teeth he flicked the tip of his tongue back and forth over it causing her to moan louder and her legs started to shake. She was close, so close to the edge of bliss, the heat coiling tighter and tighter low in her stomach was about to overflow and wash over her. She tried to buck her hips to urge him on but he held her still as he slowly tortured her with pleasure, so instead she fisted her hands in his hair hoping he would bring her soon. Itachi knew she was on the edge, but instead of pulling her back he gave her a push into oblivion. He inserted a finger into her tight heat while continuing to flick his tongue over her bud and soon after she spasmed around him shouting his name and covering his hand in her juices. He allowed her to come down from her orgasm before leaning over and kissing her fiercely, probing her mouth with his tongue allowing her to taste herself on his lips before pulling back so he could remove his pants. Sakura watched as every inch of his god-like body was revealed before her eyes causing her body to heat up with renewed fervor.

"Itachi," she gasped out. His eyes, locked with hers, were ruby and she felt not unlike prey, but still she managed to pant out, "I need you in me, now."

"Not here." He got up and headed for the bathroom, she watched him curiously as he went in and turned on the shower. Intent on finding out what he was up to she followed him. He was in the shower soaping up his body as if what they had been doing before was over and now he was cleaning up. Confused, she stood in the doorway watching him. He turned and glided towards her like some great, slinking cat, his nude body glistening with suds and water, his hair plastered to his shoulders, around his face. He was so beautiful that all she could do was stare as he approached her. His hands slid up her arms to her shoulders in a tantalizing line, sliding soap along the way breaking her out of her daze. She shivered under his heated gaze and allowed him to pull her under the water, turning her in his arms so that she faced the wall. It was when she felt his hard length nudge her backside that she understood what he wanted and leaned into the wall, supporting herself on the support bar with her cheek pressed to the cold tile. Itachi slid his hands down her sides to her hips and positioned himself at her opening, pushing slowly so as not to hurt her.

"Itachi, please." Her voice was strained as she panted her request.

"I don't want to hurt you."

She turned and looked into his eyes. "Contrary to what you might believe, I won't break."

She pushed against him, almost breaking his rigid control, to make her point, letting out a low moan as she did so. He decided to take her at her word, pushing into her tight wetness with one powerful thrust of his hips meeting the end of her with some of him left to go. Sakura cried out as he hit her inner most point. With nowhere else to go he pulled back thrusting in again and again until she thought that she might actually break despite what she said before. Itachi growled in response the sound reverberating through her body making her throw her head back and cry out again as her body started to spasm, their lovemaking becoming more primal for every second that passed. He put his arm around her waist to hold her up as he felt her legs start to out on her due to her powerful orgasm. Itachi grit his teeth, holding back his own pleasure as her body shuddered around him, he was not going to let this bliss end for them so soon, no, he would make sure that she got the best of him. At least the first time, he wasn't sure how his control would hold out next time. He held her to him as she cried his name and dug her fingers into the support bar turning her knuckles white and almost bending the bar in her frenzy.

As Sakura's vision started to come back she noticed that Itachi had stopped moving and was waiting for her to come down from her high before taking her back to that blissful place again and again. The sound of flesh hitting flesh resounded throughout the room but was soon drowned out by Sakura's piercing cries and Itachi's growls of satisfaction as he brought his lover to new heights. As she spasmed around him again his control finally broke and he gripped her hips tight enough to bruise as he pounded into her supple body. She realized that he had been gentle until now and her cries became ragged screams as the orgasm of all orgasms washed over her, wracking her entire body with tremors. If she hadn't had a death grip on the bar above her she surely would have collapsed under the pleasure that was engulfing her body. When she thought that she would finally break apart from the intense feelings she felt his fingers tighten as he thrust into her one final time, crying out her name as he allowed his senses to be washed away in their passionate frenzy. When they were finished and had slid to the floor, him still inside her, his arms hugging her to the front of his body, he smiled. This woman had definitely undone him, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

As they sat under the spray of the water relearning how the breath and waiting for their pulses to calm down Sakura had a thought. 'Kami, if this is how forever is going to be with Itachi then I'm never going to let him go. And if this is all some kind of dream, then I never want to wake up.' Shortly after, her eyes drifted shut and Sakura fell asleep in Itachi's comforting embrace. As soon as he could get his legs working he picked her up, dried them off and carried her to bed where they would sleep curled around each other until the coming dawn.

**Tada! Was that an awesome scene, or what? Apparently I can write a scene that isn't overly vulgar. I can't wait to get the reviews for this chapter and I hope you people appreciate how fast I got this chapter uploaded after the last one. I also want to remind everyone that I'm looking for some good fan-art to go with this fic, so if anyone has any please send me the link and I'll post it on my profile. Remember: More reviews equals faster uploading. **

**Until next time.**


	9. Chapter 9

**(WOOT!! I'm so glad that everyone LOVED chapter 8 so much and I hope that chapter 9 will live up to your expectations. Sorry that this took me awhile to write but I spent this weekend at Anime Fest Wichita 2008 and was a little too preoccupied to do any writing. OK, on with the story!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in this and later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 9**

THUD! 'What the hell?' Sakura blinked owlishly and looked around from her place on the floor realizing that she had just fallen out of bed. 'Well damn, that was a rude awakening.' She looked over the edge of the bed to see if she had woken Itachi only to find him gone. Figuring that he'd gone off somewhere to do whatever he did when he wasn't on a mission, she decided to get up and make some breakfast before her shift at the hospital. Her stomach took that moment to make it's presence known by grumbling loudly. 'Oh, yeah.' She smiled to herself. 'We didn't eat yesterday. I hope Itachi fixed himself something before he left.' Pulling out her medic uniform she headed towards the bathroom intent on a hot shower to relax her sore muscles before breakfast. Pulling open the door she was assaulted by steam and the sight of Itachi soaking in her tub. She was speechless. He was sitting low in the water with his arms resting on the edge, his head tilted back and his eyes were closed. He almost looked asleep but Sakura saw the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth that might pass as a smile for Itachi.

"Close the door."

Sakura jumped, she'd been staring again. "What?"

"I said, close the door, you're letting all the heat out."

She turned to leave. "Sorry."

"I didn't tell you to leave, I just want you to close the door before you join me."

If it were possible Sakura's jaw would have hit the floor. "You can't be serious. That tub is too small for two people." He sat up and motioned for her to come closer. Sliding the door shut she turned but didn't go any closer. "Come here." It was almost an order. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Why?" Itachi rolled his eyes. "So I can prove you wrong." When she again made no move to come closer he let out a frustrated sigh before standing up intent on doing it for her. Sakura stood against the door with wide eyes unsure of what he was going to do, though it became clear when he grabbed her, picked her up and carried her to the tub. Setting her down in the tub he had her stay standing until he had situated himself, then he pulled her down so that she was sitting in between his legs with her back resting against his chest. Sakura leaned her head back so she could see his face and sighed. "I think I like being wrong." "Hn." Sakura giggled making Itachi give her a look that said clearly "What?", which only made the giggles worse. When she calmed down enough to speak she answered the look. "I'm just surprised that you actually relax." The look didn't go away at her answer telling her to elaborate. "I mean, you always seem so stiff and uptight."

Itachi's eyes narrowed. "I am NOT uptight."

"Oh, then what would you call it?"

"Prepared." He stated seriously which only made her laugh again.

"Ok then."

He rolled his eyes at her before closing them and leaning his head back against the wall. Sakura shifted against him and reached for the soap but was pulled back by Itachi's arms being suddenly wrapped around her making her squeak in surprise. "Itachi, I have to get cleaned up for work."

He spoke without opening his eyes. "No you don't. You and I have been taken off active duty unless there is a major emergency and our specific skills are needed."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Why?"

"Because I chose you to help me complete my mission and the Hokage doesn't want you to be over-stressed or me getting killed."

Sakura stared at him in shock. "But I'm not ready for something like that, I'm only 18! And besides, you have three years to complete that mission."

He smirked. "I don't feel the need to draw things out when I already have who I want."

Sakura's mouth hung open and her eyes were as wide as they could get. She didn't know what to say, he had, in his own way, just said that he loved her. Well, as much as he was able. The only question was, did she love him back? She needed time to think about this. Did she really want to spend the rest of her life with Itachi Uchiha, bearing his children and becoming Matriarch of one of the most powerful clans in Konaha? And if she did, would he want her to stop being a medic-nin, spending all of her time playing housewife? Kami she was confused. She knew that she had feelings for him, but had no idea if they were strong enough to be called love. She needed to talk to someone with experience in this area and decided to that her best bet would probably be Kakashi, her old sensei. She hoped that he wouldn't be out on a mission, but that would be easy enough to find out being the Hokage's apprentice. But that could wait till later, right now she felt like staying put and letting herself be pampered by Itachi. "I wonder how many other girls have gotten this treatment?" She wondered.

"None."

It was then that Sakura realized, too late, that she had spoken aloud instead of in her head. She blushed crimson from her neck up to her forehead. Itachi chuckled lightly at her embarrassment before kissing the top of her head. "You're the first woman that has ever caught my eye so thoroughly." His praise only made her blush harder, but he only pulled her more firmly against him before closing his eyes again and relaxing in the hot water. After about an hour they got out and got ready for the day, though Sakura had no idea what to do with nothing but time on her hands. She was normally so busy that she hardly had time eat and sleep. She was heading into the kitchen to grab something to eat when Itachi's voice stopped her.

"Put your shoes on."

Did he know how to ask someone to do something without it coming out as an order? Hmmm… She'd have to work with him on that if she was ever going to marry him. "Okay, where are we going?"

"Out." Was his cryptic reply. She pouted at him. "Not going to tell me where?"

His lips twitched. "No."

Great, she hated surprises, hopefully this would be the one to change her mind. Oh well, only one way to find out. Slipping her shoes on she followed him out the door and into the busy street below. They walked a ways until Itachi stopped at a quaint little tea shop and led her inside. The place was small but very nice with a sweet little old lady running the place. 'Yes,' Sakura decided as she sat down, 'I definitely like this surprise.' Itachi ordered an assortment of fruits, breads and cheeses along with green tea and a plate of dango. When the waitress left with their order she leaned closer to him and smiled. "I didn't know that you liked sweets."

Regret flashed through Itachi's eyes before he looked down at the table. "Not very many people do."

She put her hand over his on the table. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring up your past." His eyes lifted to look at Sakura's concerned face. "It's not like you could have known so don't worry about it." Wanting to rid him of the sad look in his eyes Sakura leaned forward and pressed her lips against his in a chaste kiss. When she leaned back slightly a sigh escaped him as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her thoroughly. They were interrupted when their food arrived and they pulled apart, breathless but happier.

"Thank you."

Sakura looked at him. "For what, kissing you?"

Itachi smiled, a true and happy smile, the first that Sakura had seen and it only made him all the more beautiful. "No, for caring." She smiled back, albeit a bit mischievously. "Oh, well you're welcome… for both." He shook his head at her answer, but the smile stayed which made her happy that she was the cause of something so wonderful. She hoped that she'd get to see more of them in the future, and in that moment she realized that, yes, she did love him. They ate in a companionable silence, each stealing glances at the other throughout the meal. When they were done, Itachi paid and Sakura slipped her arm through his. "Where to now?"

He shrugged. "Let's just walk for awhile."

She leaned her head on his shoulder. "Ok." He moved them effortlessly through the crowd toward the Uchiha estate. She thought that he was taking her there when he turned down an old dirt path that went behind the huge property and into the woods beyond. When they reached a clearing with a stream running through it he stopped and motioned for her to sit with him.

Sakura was in awe. "It's beautiful."

"I used to come here a lot to get away from everything. I never even took Sasuke here because I wanted it all to myself." He wrapped his arm around her. "At that time, it was my haven, where I could go to think without the pressures of the clan." Sakura didn't speak, she just molded herself more to his side to give him the comfort she was sure that he needed. He wrapped his other arm around her and pulled her into his lap before continuing on. "Sometimes I wish that I wasn't born into this clan, it would have made things so much easier." He sighed. "But that means that I would've killed Sasuke without thinking twice." He seemed to huddle around her. "I'm not sure what would have been better for him." She looked up at that. "How so?"

"I protected him but I also made him into a thing twisted by hatred so that he would be my death." The sorrow in his voice made Sakura's throat tight.

"I see," she said softly, "but this way you both live and can make up for your past mistakes." Tears were starting to well up in her eyes at the thought of one or both of them dead. He looked down at her in wonder. "Don't cry for me, Sakura, I don't deserve it." His voice was so full of self-loathing it only made the tears fall faster. She hugged his arms around her. "But if I don't then who will?"

"No one." The statement held such grief that she wished she could wipe away every wrong he had ever committed, but then he wouldn't be the man that held her to him like she was the only secure thing in the world. No, she wouldn't change that for anything.

**Whew! This chapter was so hard to write. I hope I didn't screw anything up. Also, I found the perfect piece of fan-art for the start of the shower scene in chapter 8 and it's posted on my profile, so go check it out. If anyone has any other pics that would go with the story send me the links and I'll add them to this one. Remember: More reviews equals faster uploading. **

**Until next time.**


	10. Chapter 10

**(You guys are way too nice. I was trying to make sure that Chapter 9 wasn't too sappy, but I guess I got everything right. Thanks again for the reviews, I'm glad so many people enjoy my writing.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 10**

Sakura walked through the busy streets towards the Ichiraku ramen stand to have lunch with her teammates. Itachi had gone off to report to the Hokage leaving her with a kiss and a promise to meet her for dinner around 7 pm at his house. She had no idea whether he would order take-out or cook for her again, but either way she was happy to just be with him. When she reached her destination she was surprised to see only Sai sitting there sketching something in his notebook and waiting patiently for everyone to show up. She sat down on the stool next to him and nodded when he looked up. She was about to ask him how he was doing when a very loud blonde yelled from behind them. "HEY! Sakura-chan, where have you been for the last couple of days?" Naruto walked up and took a seat beside her with a worried look on his face. "I haven't seen you at the hospital and you haven't even met us for lunch. Were you sick or something?"

"No, Naruto, I wasn't sick. I just had an emergency come up and completely drained myself of chakra. I just needed to rest for a couple of days, but I'm doing fine now." Sakura conveniently left out the part about Itachi and her supposed rest, but at least he had helped her relax.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, what's that look for, it's kinda creeping me out?"

Sakura blinked and looked up. "What look?"

"It's the look you get when you've gone too long without eating and you see a plate of tempura." He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Ya know, like you're starving and it's the best thing in the world to eat."

Sakura felt like she was about to die of embarrassment. Had she actually looked like a starving woman when she was thinking about Itachi? She didn't know what to say, but she had to say something or everyone would get suspicious and hound her till she cracked under the pressure.

"Maybe it is just that." Sai's voice broke the uneasy silence. Sakura looked at him and saw an amused glint in his eyes. That's when it hit her, the Anbu that showed up in the middle of her bedroom while she and Itachi were… um… preoccupied must have told someone. Oh Kami, Sai is in Anbu so he probably heard all about it. She stared at him, completely mortified. How much did he know? Has he told anyone else? She had to find out and then threaten him into keeping her secret. Wait, was it a secret? And if it was, did she really want it to stay that way? No, no she didn't. Thinking it through made her mood lighten. She was happy and wanted her friends to be happy for her, now if only Sasuke could be happy for her, then everything would be perfect.

"Sai's right, Naruto, I haven't really eaten much lately." She smiled at him. "But I'm going to remedy that as soon as Sasuke shows up." She hoped that with his team around he wouldn't do anything drastic, like at the hospital.

Sakura was laughing and joking with Naruto when she spotted Sasuke followed closely by Kakashi. She supposed he had to be one of the ones assigned to watch him, or he was just short on cash and thought one of them would buy him food. Well, either way it meant that Sasuke would behave, and if not, then the others would put him in his place. Kakashi intentionally took the seat beside Naruto, putting as much distance as possible between Sakura and Sasuke.

Kakashi raised a hand in greeting. "Yo."

Sasuke sat down on the other side of Kakashi. Sakura noted that he looked calmer than before, less stressed. He sat there for a moment before raising his eyes to meet hers.

"Sakura, we need to talk," his tone was quiet instead of his normal biting anger, "not now, after lunch at the bridge."

Sakura was grateful that he had picked a public place for them to talk and she realized that he was trying to make her more comfortable around him. Lunch went as it normally did, with Naruto eating five bowls of ramen in between talking furiously about a new jutsu he had learned. Then Sai would cut in with an insult about his manhood, ultimately starting a fight which Sakura had to break up by smacking the both of them. Sasuke remained mostly silent except to call Naruto a dobe for being, well, Naruto. Kakashi turned to Sakura with an amused smile that could only be seen in his one eye. "So, Sakura, what have you been up to lately?" And with that one statement she knew that he knew everything. Great, just great. She gave him an exasperated look before answering.

"Not much, just resting. A couple days ago I had an emergency show up and it took a lot out of me, but I'm fine now." She hoped this would stop him from prodding further. Oh how wrong she was.

"Really? I heard that the Hokage took you off active duty unless there was an emergency. Do you know why?" He looked concerned, but she could see the mischievous glint under the concern. He was trying to get her to confess what he already knew, but Sakura knew just how to avoid giving him what he wanted and still answer truthfully.

Her look changed to annoyed. "Probably because I've been over-working myself to the point of exhaustion and she doesn't want her best healer to burn out."

"Ah." It was all he said. She could tell that he wasn't satisfied with her answer but knew he wouldn't get anything more out of her. Good.

Naruto took the opportunity to cut in. "Hey, teme, I haven't seen you around much either, what have you been up to?"

"Nothing." It came out clipped and bitter but Naruto either didn't notice or didn't care.

Soon after everyone decided that lunch was over, so they paid and went their separate ways, except for Sakura and Sasuke. They walked together in silence. When they reached the bridge she leaned her back against the railing waiting for him to speak. For a while he just stared into the water. Then he spoke without looking at her.

"Sakura," he paused, searching for the right words, "I… I'm sorry, for everything. It's just that you were the one who helped me and believed in me when no one else did." He looked at her then, eyes almost pleading. "I guess, that I thought you'd always be there, with me, but all I've ever done was drive you away."

"Sasuke, I'm still there for you and I still believe in you. I don't want anything to come between us and ruin our friendship."

Sasuke hung his head again. "I thought that's what you'd say." His voice was full of a deep sadness. "I really am sorry, I just hope that you can forgive me." He straightened up. "I'm gonna go, but can you tell me something first?"

"What is it?" She was almost afraid of what he might ask.

"Does he make you happy?" The question held years of regret but with an underlying hope.

"Yes, Sasuke, he does." Her eyes were soft and shiny with unshed tears as she answered. "And I hope that someday you can find someone that truly makes you happy, I don't want to see the sadness in your eyes anymore." She went to him then and wrapped her arms around him as the tears finally fell.

Sakura spoke into his shoulder. "Promise me, Sasuke, promise that you'll find what makes you happy in this world." Her tears were coming faster as she cried the tears that he wouldn't allow to fall. "Please?"

He rested his chin on her head as he allowed his arms to hug her back. "Alright, I'll do it for you."

Sakura pulled back to look at his face. "Really?"

Sasuke looked down at her with a small but genuine smile. "Really."

He pulled out of her grasp and walked away, though she noticed that his mood seemed a little lighter. Now, maybe things would get back to normal. Sakura wiped away her tears and started walking towards the Hokage tower, she needed to report on Sasuke's change in behavior. As she walked she had another thought. "Hm… maybe I'll try setting Naruto up with Hinata, the poor fool is still completely oblivious.' Thoughts of the blushing Hyuuga heiress and her hyper teammate made her laugh to herself and seemed to brighten her day considerably. Everything was going right, for once, and after her report to the Hokage the only left on her to-do list was dinner, with Itachi, at his house, alone. That made a thrill of fear and anticipation rush through her. 'Yes, tonight was going to be interesting.'

**Sorry, but you're all going to have to wait till the next chapter to see what Itachi has in store for Sakura. Also, I post these as soon as I'm done writing them, so I don't quite know what's going to happen until it comes out on the page. I have a general idea, but sometimes things just have to be spontaneous. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Bye for now.**


	11. Chapter 11

**(Sorry this took me so long to write, but my AC went out and I've been hot and bitchy. Definitely not the mood to be writing in. I'm sure you can all understand. Oh, and for you people who want me to update faster, I am not a machine. I have to sleep, among other things. So if I put up 2 chapters within 24 hours, be happy.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 11**

Sakura sat on her bed and watched as Ino rummaged through her closet tossing clothing every which way as she looked for the perfect outfit. "Aha!" The triumphant blonde emerged with an armload of clothes and accessories and fixed her friend with a look that made Sakura worried. Ino laid out a black Japanese style dress that was patterned with sakura blossoms, a pair of tight black shorts and thigh high leather boots. The top had a high collar, short sleeves and went down to her knees with slits up the sides that stopped at her hips, which was why she needed the shorts. She looked at the outfit with a small frown.

"What's the matter, Forehead? I thought you wanted to look good for your man."

Sakura sighed. "I do. It's just that I don't know what Itachi has planned for tonight."

"Girl, with this outfit you'll have him wrapped around your little finger in an instant. It doesn't matter what he has planned, trust me." Ino smirked, knowing she'd get her way in the end.

Defeated, Sakura picked up the clothes and ushered Ino out so she could change. She looked at herself in the mirror, slightly shocked at how good she looked. The dress hugged all the right places and the high collar accentuated the long line of her neck. The black offset her hair and the pale pink flowers scattered across the fabric. Leaving her hitai-ate on her dresser she pulled her hair back with an antique comb that her mother had given her. She applied a minimal amount of make-up which consisted of eye-liner, mascara and lip-gloss. She looked herself over critically before going into her living room to get Ino's opinion.

Ino stood gaping before pulling herself together. "Damn, girl, if I didn't know better, I'd say you look better than me." She gave Sakura a scathing look. "But, of course, I know better." For once Sakura didn't take the bait, instead she rolled her eyes and went to grab her purse.

Sighing, she couldn't help but ask. "Yeah, but do you think he'll like it?"

Ino's look was scandalous. "From what you've told me he'll probably like it better on the floor than on you."

Sakura turned bight red. "Ino!"

"Now, now, don't you have someone waiting for you?" Ino started pushing her embarrassed friend out the door. "And don't worry, even Itachi will have a reaction to you."

Sakura found herself in front of the Uchiha Complex within minutes. Heading down the main street she looked for Itachi's house. Wait… did she even know where his house was? Crap. She stood in the middle of the street concentrating, trying to seek out the faint chakra signature that was Itachi. Spreading her senses out to the furthest reaches of the property she was amazed that she couldn't locate him. Was he not there? She turned, intending to head back to her apartment thinking that he might go there when she didn't show, and promptly ran into a hard warm chest.

"Looking for me?" Itachi's smooth voice flowed straight through her, making her shiver. Raising her eyes to meet his impossibly gorgeous ones she mumbled out an answer. "…yeah…"

'Damn him! How come every time I come in contact with him I turn into some simpering school girl. What the hell is wrong with me?' She was brought out of her thoughts by the feel of his eyes on her. They held that same predatory gaze that he only seemed to get when they were alone. It frightened and thrilled her to know that she could elicit such a look from the Uchiha prodigy. Itachi leaned forward and whispered against her lips. "You look beautiful tonight, Sakura." Kami, the way he said her name had to be a sin. His lips ghosted over hers before fully pressing against her in a heated kiss. Sakura only pulled away when they needed to breath, her head was swimming and both of their eyes were lust clouded. Itachi almost looked as if he were debating taking her right there in the middle of the street.

Sakura decided to break the silence. "Itachi?"

"Hn?"

"What about dinner?"

Itachi looked startled. How did he always manage to lose himself so fully when he was around her? He didn't like it, but at the same time seemed to crave the lack of control he had when in her arms. Shaking his head, he took her hand and lead her through the streets to his home and the surprise that awaited her there. Sakura took in every detail of their walk making sure that she wouldn't ever forget this moment. She was so at peace around him, and it seemed he was the same. She always dreamed of finding love but would never have guessed it could be like this. They had nothing but time now and she was going to enjoy every second of it. Sakura wanted to spend the rest of her life with this man, but as shinobi that time could be devastatingly short lived. It wasn't a shock that they would choose to make the most of their time together when they could very well die tomorrow. She gazed at the man before her as he stopped in front of a small, but cozy house. He was beautiful, and he was all hers.

"Close your eyes."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously, hands on her hips. "Why?"

Itachi rolled his eyes. He found her indignant attitude cute, though he had no idea why. "Please?"

Sakura's eyes widened. She never expected that word to fall from those lips and she was shocked into doing what he asked. She heard the shoji screen slide open and was led inside. They stopped a few feet inside the door. "Can I open my eyes yet?"

"Yes."

She stared in awe completely at a loss for words. Glancing up she caught Itachi's triumphant smirk. "I take it you are pleased?" He knew the answer but wanted to hear her voice it.

"Oh yeah." Her voice was subdued, as if speaking to loud would ruin the moment. Everything was perfect. A low table had been set with a traditional Japanese dinner, candles being the only illumination. Two plush pillows sat side by side for them to sit upon and there was even a large bottle of sake in the center of the table. After standing there for several minutes, Itachi decided that he needed to move things along by leading Sakura to her seat. As he sat beside her she finally seemed to take in his appearance. He wasn't wearing his normal outfit which consisted of a black wide collared shirt and black pants. How could she not have noticed this? He was wearing a traditional black kimono with an elaborately decorated yukata draped around his shoulders, though the most striking thing being that his hair was loose and flowing down his back. Itachi sat with one knee tucked under him and the other bent with his arm resting on it as he gazed back at her with a bemused expression knowing that she had just noticed his clothing.

Sakura caught herself after a moment and decided to enjoy the food when he gestured for her to eat. It was delicious and she resisted the urge to ask if he had cooked. They ate in relative silence since neither of them needed idle chatter to be comfortable. After dinner he led her out into the garden behind the house to a bench that over-looked the koi pond. After a while Itachi spoke, his velvety voice doing funny things to her insides.

"Sakura, I asked you here for more than dinner." Sakura blushed making him chuckle darkly. "Not just for that either."

"Then why?"

"I've thought about this for a while and I want you to stay with me."

"Like move in with you?"

"Yes, and no." Turning to look into the jade depths of her eyes Itachi took her hand. "Sakura, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I have many regrets in my life and I will not allow you to become one of them. I love you, Sakura, and I want you to be my wife."

"You want me to what?" Sakura stood and the world tilted, her vision turned into streamers of color as she swayed on her feet. This was all too much too fast. Sure she loved him and wanted to be with him, but was she ready for all this right now? She was only 18 and had so much to look forward to. Wasn't he moving a bit too quickly, even if he did have his mission? Sakura closed her eyes trying to get rid of the dizziness, but it was as if the earth shifted under her feet and she fell. Itachi caught her easily, but it was too late, she had fainted.

**Ha! I had to leave it there for you people who were expecting a lemon scene. You and your dirty minds. LOL Like I'm any different. Oh well. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading. **

**Until next time.**


	12. Chapter 12

**(YAY!! Doing little happy dance Over 100 Reviews! Thanks so much to everyone who's been kind enough to review, I really mean it. Here's hoping for 100 more. BTW I know that I sounded kinda bitchy in the last chapter, but I was sleep deprived and in pain, so I apologize if I offended anyone. Alright, on with Chapter 12!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 12**

Sasuke walked through the streets of Konaha trying to find something interesting to do seeing as he wouldn't be on active duty for awhile. Being stuck with nothing to do was grating on his nerves, badly. Hanging out with Naruto had been a bust because Hinata had shown up and he could only take so much mushiness from the couple before he felt like killing something, or someone. Damn, it seemed like all of his friends had hooked up leaving him the only single one of the bunch. Really, how hard could it be to find a good-looking woman, preferably a kunoichi, who would be willing to marry him and start having kids right away? He hung his head. This was going to be harder than he thought, and if he didn't find someone the Hokage would pick for him.

"Why so glum, Sasuke?"

Turning around, Sasuke came face to face, well face to book, with Kakashi. Fuck, could his day get any worse? Why couldn't people just leave him alone?

"Why is it any of your business? I know that you've been taken off babysitting duty, so why are you bothering me?"

Kakashi lowered his book and gave Sasuke his patented eye crease. "Now, Sasuke, is that any way to talk to a former teacher?"

Sasuke sneered at his ex-sensei. "Like I've ever cared about that shit."

Kakashi sighed. "I was hoping that had changed. Well, if you're doing ok I'll just see you later. Ja." With that he disappeared into the crowded street leaving Sasuke to brood over his problems. Deciding to head home he turned in time to catch sight of Itachi running towards the hospital with a limp Sakura in his arms. 'What the HELL?' Sasuke was shocked. 'Wait, was Itachi wearing his kimono? That would mean… shit!' Sasuke took off after his brother intent on finding out what was going on. He may not love Sakura in that way, but it didn't mean that he had no feelings for the pink haired girl. Throwing open the hospital door, Itachi rushed inside catching the nearest nurse to admit Sakura. Sasuke was hot on his brother's heels so he caught their conversation. The nurse took them to a room and instructed him to lay her on the bed.

"Itachi-san, I need to know what happened." The nurse's tone was gentle but firm.

Itachi stared at the floor for a moment before glancing at Sasuke then back at the floor.

"I asked Sakura to marry me. She stood too quickly and seemed to sway on her feet before fainting. I tried to wake her and when I couldn't I brought her here."

"I see. Please wait here." The nurse left them alone as she went to get Tsunade knowing no one else was allowed to treat her prized pupil. She smiled to herself. 'Well well, Sakura, you always said you'd marry an Uchiha but I bet you didn't see this coming.'

Sasuke stared at his brother who was perched beside Sakura on the bed. Who would've guessed that someone so cold could attract someone with so much passion that it bubbled over onto everyone around her. He was completely baffled and that didn't happen very often. The other thing bugging him was that the mission started only a few days ago and Itachi was already asking her to marry him. It didn't make sense. Itachi was a very calculating person and never did anything spontaneous. So, why was he popping the question already. There had to be something he missed.

"Is there something on your mind, Sasuke?"

"What the hell is with you popping the question so soon? You've only been interested in Sakura for a couple of weeks."

Itachi fixed his brother with a condescending look. "And that is where you are wrong, foolish little brother. I have been interested in her for three years, ever since she took out an Akatsuki member."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the jibe. "Then why have you only just now started showing interest?"

"I needed to get to know the real her, the one beneath the fake smiles and temper tantrums. I needed to know what makes her so strong."

"So, what is it?"

"The one thing that I was made to kill inside myself that only she has been able to reawaken, her heart."

"Hn." Sasuke didn't know how to respond to that so he just left it there. Not that they had any more time to discuss the matter because in the next moment Tsunade walked in and fixed Itachi with a stern look.

"What did you do to my apprentice, Uchiha?"

"I'm sure the nurse informed you of what happened."

"Is there anything else that you'd like to add before I wake Sakura up and question her?"

Itachi fixed Tsunade with a blank look. "No."

"Alright. Now get the hell out of the way so I can take a look at her."

Tsunade laid a glowing hand on Sakura's forehead trying to discern what might be the problem. Her findings made her chuckle to herself. "Ah, I see." She turned to Itachi. "Apparently Sakura had an anxiety attack. She'll need some time to rest and a stress free environment for a few days, so if I were you I'd lay off topics like marriage for awhile." Without waiting for a response she turned and left the room. A few minutes later a nurse came in with discharge papers. Itachi scooped Sakura into his arms and carried her back to his house so she could rest. He figured after a scare like that maybe she wasn't the only one in need of a quiet night of sleep. So after getting her changed into something more comfortable, one of his old shirts, he curled around her protectively before dozing off.

After leaving the hospital, Sasuke couldn't help but think on his brothers cryptic statement about Sakura. He knew the pink haired girl had gone through hell and back just to prove to everyone including herself that she was strong, but he didn't think that had anything to do with what Itachi was trying to convey. Another thing bothering him was that his brother had seen something in her three years ago and had taken this long to puzzle things out. This was getting way too complicated, maybe he'd go ask Kakashi about it later. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and started back toward his house so he could get something to eat and then go train before bed. As he passed one of the shops he heard a child crying and decided to check it out. As he rounded the corner he caught sight of a little girl clutching a kitten. Normally he would have gone on his way once he was sure the child wasn't injured, but lately his life had been anything but normal.

He knelt next to her. "What's wrong?"

She looked up at the dark man with tear filled eyes. "It's my kitty, a dog attacked her and now she won't wake up."

Sasuke noticed that the little cat was still breathing, maybe the Inuzuka's could help it. "Come on, if we hurry I'm sure she'll be fine."

"O… ok."

Several minutes later they sat in a exam room at the Inuzuka's Veterinary Clinic. The little girl had finally calmed down and told Sasuke that her name was Rika and the kitten's name was Sandy because of her tan coloring. During that time he pondered over his sudden bout of niceness and decided that he wasn't in his right mind at the moment. They didn't have long to wait before Inuzuka Hana stepped into the room. She picked the kitten up and laid her on the table to get a better look. After assessing the damage she turned to Sasuke who was leaning against the wall staring at the floor.

"So, what happened?"

Lifting his eyes, Sasuke was struck by the sheer beauty of the woman in front of him. After a few moments he was able to form coherent thoughts and answer her question.

"She was mauled by a dog."

"I see." She looked down at Rika. "I'll have little Sandy fixed up in no time."

Sasuke watched Hana work, noticing how her eyes softened while mending the poor animal. It had been a while since he had seen a woman who could turn his head and he was desperately trying to figure out a way to ask her out. She was beautiful, skilled, kind, and strong, everything that he had been looking for. As far as he could tell, she was perfect. Now here's hoping Kiba didn't try to kill him for messing with his sister.

**Things are starting to heat up, no? I hope I don't get flamed for this unusual pairing, but I just got the sudden urge to make Sasuke have a penchant for older women. Ok, people I'll see you next time. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading. **

**Ja!**


	13. Chapter 13

**(Well, apparently I did a good job pairing up Sasuke with Hana. I was trying to find someone that wouldn't put up with any of his bullshit but wasn't too domineering. Thanks again for all the great reviews. I've been asked to try to make my chapters longer and I wanted to say that I'll do my best, but sometimes things just come down to when is the best time to stop. I hope that you'll forgive me if things continue on the way it has been because I'm fairly sure that this story is going to go on for at least a little while. I also decided to revise this chapter due to the fact that some people were offended with me using someone else's sex scene in my story because I thought I wouldn't be any good at writing them, but I promise you this is all out of my disturbed mind.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in this and later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 13**

Sakura awoke in a wonderful cocoon of warmth that was Itachi's arms and body. She noticed that they were in his bed instead of hers. It was a huge mass of pillows, black and red like his eyes. She peered up his body to see if he was asleep only to find him looking back at her. The previous day suddenly came crashing down on her and Itachi must have seen the panic rising in her eyes for he spoke.

"Sakura, don't worry about yesterday."

"But…"

"You need to relax. Doctor's orders."

His eyes told her that he had a different idea of relaxing than she did and it made a blush rise on her cheeks. Itachi lay back on the bed after removing his pants while she slipped out of her clothes. Seeing him naked against the pillows and the black and red of the bedspread made her stop and stare. And, no, she didn't only stare at his groin. How could she stare at just one thing when all of him was lying there? He didn't look that muscular clothed. You had to see him at least mostly naked to appreciate the fine play of muscle in his arms, chest, stomach, legs. Clothed, he looked almost delicate, especially for a man. Nude, he looked strong and somehow more… more something that clothes stole from him. His skin was pale against the darkness of the bedspread, making his body stand out like it had been drawn there. His shoulders were wide, his waist and hips narrow. She missed the spill of his hair around his face, but he'd left it in it's ponytail, and she didn't tell him to take it down. Sometimes it was good not to have all that hair flying loose. It could get in the way. Sakura let her gaze settle last on the swell of him, so hard, so long. Long enough that he could touch his own belly button without using his hands. Thick enough that she couldn't get finger and thumb completely around him when he was at his thickest. She came back up to his face and met those eyes, the delicate curve of his face. Even with the lines of exhaustion running down his face he was still the most beautiful man she had ever seen.

"You are so beautiful," she spoke her thoughts aloud.

He smirked. "Shouldn't that be my line?"

She smiled back a light blush staining her cheeks. "If you say so."

He crawled across the bed towards her, slinking like a cat as if he had muscles in places that he shouldn't. Sakura watched him, the heated look in his eyes making her mouth go dry and her body heat up. It was the kind of look that a man gives a woman when he knows she won't say no. She must have zoned out for a minute because one second he was crawling towards her and the next he was running his hands up her sides causing tendrils of heat to shiver across her skin making her tremble under his touch.

"Come here." His voice was low as he pulled her down onto the bed, ravishing her neck with licks and nibbles. She made a sound low in her throat loving the feel of his heated flesh sliding against hers making her nipples harden under his smooth chest and lean muscles. Now that she thought about it, the term 'Sex God' actually came up when Itachi came to mind. Sakura let out a little giggle at the thought making him look up at her with an arched brow.

His eyes were swimming obsidian pools as he looked down at her. "Is something funny?"

Her smile grew as she thought about telling him her thoughts, but she decided against it. "No, nothing."

His eyes swirled into the sharingan as she watched, mesmerized by the transformation. "I can make you tell me." Even though his words were mildly threatening she knew he'd never hurt her. She couldn't take his serious look anymore and finally burst out laughing.

"Ok, Mr. Sex God you can turn down the threat level."

His look turned slightly confused which only made her laugh harder until he suddenly bit down on her collarbone emitting a low growl that turned her laughs into a gasp of pain and pleasure combined.

Itachi raised his head, his eyes still the dangerous red and black, making her heart race at the sight. "Then I guess I'll have to live up to your expectations, but for now..."

Sakura yelped as he suddenly flipped them over so that she was straddling him with his hard length pressing against her center. She moaned at the feeling of him so close but not yet inside her. Itachi decided to change that as he lifted her hips, positioning her over him. She lowered onto him slowly, a low moan escaping her lips as she felt him stretch her inner walls almost to the point of tearing. The angle was sharper causing small shooting pains to mix with the pleasure and instantly building pressure in her abdomen, feeling herself get closer to the edge as she rode him. Itachi was mesmerized by the exotic beauty above him. Her rosette hair was hanging around her face, sweat glistening on her creamy skin as she moved. Her eyes were closed, too focused on the feelings sweeping through her to open them. Itachi would have none of that, he wanted to see her eyes fog as her orgasm washed over and through her.

"Look at me." His deep tenor made her open her eyes. It wasn't a request. The look of wonder on his face made her heart ache and finally pushed her over the edge. Her body shuddered over him, her nails digging into his shoulders as she held on so she wouldn't collapse. The feeling of her squeezing down on his length made him want to give in to her siren's call. Itachi's head flew back as he thrust up into her, giving himself over to desire. He called out her name as he felt his release, running his nails down her back causing her to spasm around him again. Sakura finally gave in to her weakening body, she felt boneless as she collapsed, breathless onto his chest.

As their breathing evened out Sakura noticed the bloody furrows she left in his shoulders while she was lost in the pleasure. She touched the scratches and he flinched a little, hardly noticeable, if she hadn't been a medic. She glanced at his face.

"Kami, Itachi, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

He lifted his hand from her back, coming away with blood.

"I should be asking you that. Did I hurt you?" Concern was evident in his voice.

Sakura's eyes softened and she smiled up at him. Yep, she would definitely be sore after the endorphins wore off, she'd have to heal herself later. "A little, but nothing a little cuddling won't take care of."

She rolled off him, cuddling up to his side as he wrapped her in his warm embrace. He looked down on her, already falling asleep in his arms, and laid a kiss on her forehead. No, he was never going to let this woman out of his life, she was too precious to him.

"I think I can do that."

**So, was it good for you? LOL I just couldn't resist. Ok, people I'll see you next time. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading. **

**Ja!**


	14. Chapter 14

**(Apparently people would rather I update faster than try to make the chapters longer, so I'll just keep going at my normal pace. I know that this chapter took me quite a while to write, unfortunately it's because my back has been bothering me and I don't have one of those spiffy computer chairs for people with back problems, though I am saving up for one, I promise.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 14**

As Hana left her house, she had needed to clean up and change after her shift at the clinic, she thought back on the events of that morning. Who knew that the younger Uchiha could be so kind and considerate to a child whom he didn't even know. He even paid the vet fees when he found out that her family was too poor to cover them. After the girls parents picked her up he had stayed behind to thank her again for saving the unfortunate animals life. He looked so sincere and it wasn't even his cat. She supposed that there was a lot more to him and she decided that she wanted to know more. So, when he had asked her to lunch she readily agreed. She laughed to herself as she thought back on her last crush. After the brothers had come back to the village she had lusted after Itachi but when she asked him out he had declined, stating very matter-of-factly that he was not interested in her, ever.

'Oh, well,' a sly smile graced her lips, 'his brother is also quite the looker even if he is an arrogant prick at times.' She chuckled to herself. 'Ok, most of the time.'

Sasuke sat in the quaint little tea house waiting for Hana to show up. He had actually been surprised when she accepted his offer for lunch after she had finished with her vet duties. He was even more surprised at himself for being able to ask her out without stuttering, even though he was actually blushing by the time all the words were out of his mouth. She had flashed him a breathtaking smile and a promise to show up at the tea house before going back to work. The bell above the door chimed and Sasuke looked up just as Hana walked in the door. If his jaw could have hit the floor, it would have. She was stunning in a black halter dress with red flowers flowing down it that almost looked like an artfully applied spray of blood. Oh yes, he definitely approved.

Sasuke stood and pulled the chair next to him out for her as she neared the table, no one could ever say that he didn't know proper etiquette. He flashed her a dazzling smile as she sat down and slightly put out when she only smirked at him. Dark eyes narrowed briefly at the slight insult, but he would never let that deter him from his goal. 'She probably thinks that I just want to get her into bed,' Sasuke thought as he sat back down. Little did he know that her plan was exactly that.

Sasuke looked at his lunch companion. "I'm glad that you came, I wanted to thank you properly for what you did."

Hana laughed. "Are you sure about that?"

A dark brow raised. "Sure about what?"

She leaned forward giving him a good shot of her cleavage. "That this is the proper way to thank me?"

She was teasing him and he knew it. Sasuke smelled a challenge and he wasn't about to back down. So, flashing her a sexy smirk he decided to try putting her on the offensive.

"I don't know." His voice was low and sensual. "What would you like me to do to thank you?"

Hana hadn't expected that. A lazy smile crept across her face. So he knew how to play, huh? Well, that would certainly make things interesting. She hope that he wanted more than a quick romp in the bedroom, but if not, she wasn't one to complain, especially if the sex was good. If they did end up in a relationship the true test would be introducing him to her nin-dogs, the Grey Triplets. If they didn't accept him then that would be the end of it.

She seemed to contemplate his question before answering in a seductive purr. "How about lunch for now and I'll get back to you about how to thank a woman properly."

Sasuke visibly swallowed, she knew this game well, but he wasn't about to lose. Feeling maybe a little too brave, he slid his hand up her thigh before speaking in almost a growl.

"Oh, I'm sure I know how to do just about anything properly."

It was her turn to swallow and to fight down the blush that was about to consume her high cheek bones. She was saved from having to answer right away by the waitress coming to take their order. Sasuke ordered a sushi platter for the both of them along with some tea. The meal was slightly more expensive than normal, but not overtly so. She approved. Aside from the hand that was still resting on her thigh, just above her knee, he was being the perfect gentleman. Finally pulling his hand back so he could eat and she almost missed the warmth. Almost.

'Time to tip the scale in my favor.'

Sliding her foot up the back of his calf she turned the tables on him. "I don't know, I'm sure I could show you a thing or two."

"I… uh…" 'Damn it! How can she do this to me? It's not like I've never done this before. Why is she so different?'

His inner turmoil was interrupted by her laughter.

"Looks like I won this round, Uchiha." She stood to go. "Better luck next time, as I'm sure there will be."

And she walked away, leaving Sasuke in stunned silence.

'Wait, what did she say about a next time?' Then it hit him, sometimes he was just as dense as Naruto. A feral and triumphant grin split his face. 'So she wants to see me again, interesting.'

Maybe losing this time wasn't so bad. He left money to pay for their meal and took a walk to try and come up with a plan for their next meeting. He thought up all of the possible ways her could put her on the defensive and keep her there. Today's battle of wills didn't go as well as he'd planned. Maybe that was the problem, he hadn't planned beyond sweeping her away with his charm. He needed to win, his pride might not be able to take much more. But hadn't she basically said that she wanted to go out again, even though he lost? He had to make sure he won the next round.

He grinned suddenly, almost a baring of teeth. 'Or maybe letting her win might be more fun.'

**Sigh. I know how short this one is, but I just couldn't write any more. It was actually the hardest chapter for me to write because I had to add a more detailed personality to both Hana and Sasuke. I promise to make the next one longer. Remember: More reviews means faster uploading.**

**Ja.**


	15. Chapter 15

**(For those of you who bit…um…complained about the last chapter because there was no Itachi in it, I promise that this chapter will be more to your liking. Though I'm not surprised that most of my readers are rabid Itachi fans because so am I.)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, just this story.**

**Mature content warning for language and lemon in later chapters.**

Sakura: age 18

Sasuke: age 18

Itachi: age 24

Hana: age 23

**Take your pick**

**Chapter: 15**

_Two Weeks Later:_

Sakura stood in her apartment as she took a last look around the empty space. Itachi had asked her to move in with him and she had agreed as long as she could have her own room. All of her belongings were now being shipped over to her new home and all that was left was for her to turn in her keys. Tears welled up in her eyes as she remembered all of the wonderful and painful memories that had been made here.

"Are you okay?"

Sakura turned and came face to face with Itachi. She hadn't even known he was there.

'He's so close. How can he still sneak up on me like this?' She went to him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she buried her face in his neck.

"I will be." Her voice was soft as she spoke into his neck making shivers run down his spine as he held her.

"I came to tell you that Sasuke wants us to come to dinner with Him and Hana. Do you want to go?"

She looked up into his eyes. "Sure. It should help to cheer me up."

A small smirk formed on his lips. "We don't have to be there until 7, perhaps I could cheer you up some before we go out."

Wide jade eyes stared in shock. "Is that the only thing you think about. Geez, you're almost as big a pervert as Kakashi."

Itachi looked at her with mock hurt in his eyes. "I was thinking no such thing." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Perhaps you are the perverted one."

She pulled back with a laugh and slapped him on the arm. "If so, then it's from being around people like Jiraiya for too long."

Sakura took one more look around before leaving her little apartment for good. She looked up at Itachi as they walked down the street. "So, about cheering me up?"

"What about it?"

There was an amused hint to his voice that told her she was being teased. "Well, you're the one who said you were going to do something to cheer me up." As he opened his mouth to answer she cut in. "That has nothing to do with sex."

"Then I'm out of ideas."

"Sakura mumbled under her breath. "Pervert."

Itachi leaned in to look her in the eyes. "What was that? I think I missed it."

She grinned deviously. "Nothing."

His eyes bled to red and narrowed at her. "Are you sure?"

Sakura couldn't help laughing at him. "You of all people should know that you can't threaten me with those eyes."

"And why is that?"

She stepped close to him and laid a chaste kiss on his lips. "Because I know you won't hurt me."

"Hn."

They started to walk towards the business district. After a while the silence between them started to get the better of Sakura.

"Where are we going?"

"…"

"Not going to answer?"

"…"

"Is it a surprise?"

"…"

"Fine, I'll just go home and start unpacking."

As she turned to leave Itachi caught her wrist and pulled her to his side. "We're almost there."

When they stopped Sakura noticed that they were in front of a furniture store.

She looked at him curiously. "Why are we here?"

"The house is in need of refurbishing if we're going to have a family together."

Sakura didn't know why the word family made her heart clench. Or maybe it was the look that he had when he said it. Either way it made her go to him.

"Thank you."

Her response earned her a kiss on the forehead. Itachi led her towards the nursery section and started looking at a blue bedroom set.

Sakura went over to him. "What if we have a girl?"

"We're having a boy." Itachi stated very matter-of-factly.

Sakura paled. "H-having?"

He wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Yes."

She turned in his arms so she could look at his face. "How do you know?"

"It's a hunch."

Now she was mad. "A hunch? You making me nervous over a hunch."

"I've never been wrong."

The nervousness was back full force. "Never?"

"Never."

"Shit."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Aren't you happy?"

"I-I don't know."

"After we get done here we'll go make sure. I could be wrong."

At his reply she felt a bit better. "Okay."

After purchasing everything they would need and having it shipped to their home, they took off towards the Hokage tower. Sakura asked Itachi to wait for her in the hall while she went in to talk to Tsunade. He wanted to go in with her but thought better of it. An hour passed and found him pacing the hallway. When he hears Sakura scream and then a thump he almost broke down the door. He was starting to worry. What if she wasn't pregnant? What if she couldn't even have kids? There were so many "what if's" he had no idea what to expect when that door opened. Tsunade finally came out to talk to him after another half hour. Itachi looked at her expectantly.

"Sakura is resting on my couch, she fainted after being told the news."

"Is she pregnant?"

"Yes."

"Is it a boy?"

"As for that, she wanted me to tell you that you were wrong."

"A girl?"

"Both."

Itachi felt the sudden need to sit down seeing as his legs would no longer hold him up. "Both?"

Tsunade smirked. "Apparently you're exceptional at everything you do."

"Could you do me a favor?"

"What is it?"

"Send a message to Sasuke that we won't be joining them for dinner."

Tsunade's laughter could be heard throughout the tower.

**Well, there ya go people. She's pregnant and with that this story comes to a close. I'll be putting up a poll on my profile to see if you guys think I should do a sequal.**

**Ja.**


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